Plumpton 14/12/09

It is not a phrase that appears often, but this was really just a normal day at Plumpton. Sticky ground, the worst sort, with the mud clinging, clinging and holding on to all that touched it, like some sort of great, earthy octopus. Ironically a bit more rain would have helped. The meeting was billed as the Christmas Raceday. Of course, if it had been really Christmassy, with deep snow and everyone gathered round a big log fire, the racing would have been off. Mind you, the pictures on this page look bright and sunny, but when the sun dipped behind the stands before the fifth, it suddenly got a bit chilly.

Pillage A Pony - Days 2 to 4

Balance brought forward: -74p

13th - Hereford Placepot - 8 lines at 25p, savagely let down by The Donserelli in race 2, although Cool Bob also needs to take long, hard look at himself. LOSS of £2.00

NFL in the evening - 25p trixie Miami Dolphins (6/5), Oakland Raiders (Evs) and San Francisco 49ers (13/8). This had a potential £5.74 profit, but was let down by the hated and despised Raiders on Sunday night, but if the 49ers prevail in the Monday game a profit would still be clawed back: one of 44p.

Running total: -£2.74

14th - Plumpton Placepot - 32 lines at 20p. Went rather well as nine of the eleven selections were placed. The trouble is, the two that did not were Alderbrook Girl and Wondersobright, the only selections for race 5, The third choice horse for that race was also unplaced, but is allowed a dignified anonymity. LOSS of £6.40

15p each way patent on the chases, King Edmund (won, 14/1), Giolla De (second, 6/1), Wondersobright (fourth, 33/1). Started off with great encouragement from the in-form Chris Gordon yard, then Giolla De failed to drift sufficiently for his place to make an impact and the outcome for Wondersobright was kind of inevitable... PROFIT of £1.50

Running total: -£7.64 (with the 49ers working for the pot during the middle of the night)

Brought forward from Sunday, NFL trixie secures a net gain with the 49ers win over the Cardinals: PROFIT of 44p

15th - Folkestone abandoned due to frost, shortly after arriving at the course. The Placepot was completely impossible, but had to be tried anyway.

Also on the cards was a 10p win patent: Helpston, Minella For Food, Cannington Brook. Let the cautious assumption be that they would have won at 4/1, 6/1 and 8/1. That would have returned a PROFIT of £47.20, but then it is only fair to allow for a failed Placepot: LOSS of £6.40

Running total: +33.60 - Immortality is achieved.

Going: Soft (Heavy)

Race 1: Highworth Lifestyle Juvenile Hurdle [2m]

1: Westlin' Winds     2: Anak     3: Peter Grimes

Winner owned: A Allison, J Allison & Lord Daresbury, trained: Charles Egerton, ridden: Ollie Greenall

This was what is becoming the default format for Plumpton - a manageable sized field full of horses that might yet make some form of hurdling achievement, but leaving the impression that they are all waiting to get handicapped. In this instance, there were actually three previous winners declared, but none had picked up races that initially raised any eyebrows for excellence, although the horse that Peter Grimes beat had subsequently made the frame at Cheltenham. It was suggested in the press that after Westlin Winds had drubbed an Alan King runner on his debut, that taking him on again with Peter Grimes was a sign of confidence. Or could it be that the yard has too many three-year-old hurdlers needing a run to be avoiding races like this? Peter Grimes did end up favourite, but Westlin Winds blew him away in an impressively determined manner. Despite looking something less than a perfect tool for the job, Anak stayed on for second.

Race 2: attheraces.com With Free Timeform Novice Chase [2m 1f]

1: King Edmund     2: El Dancer     3: Shoreacres

Winner owned: Simon Tindall, trained: Chris Gordon, ridden: Rodi Greene

The field had amassed only six chase runs under Rules, and Signatory owned three of them - all terrible ones as well. Franchoek had his Huntingdon flop and Numide a pair of very different efforts. The negative majority won through and the frame was filled by three newcomers to chasing, but perhaps not quite in the expected order. King Edmund, a bumper winner who had raced too freely over hurdles but shown signs of common sense cutting in during his last race, was rated twenty to forty pounds behind some of the others over the lesser obstacles. Jumping well out in front, he led them a merry tango, and although El Dancer (hurdle rating 145) and Shoreacres (seventh in the Supreme Novice Hurdle on is last run) did almost nothing wrong, King Edmund was too good on the day - the suspicion being that he handled the ground best. Franchoek looked more ill at ease with fences than he had done at Huntingdon. Mahonia was still in contention when he fell two out, but the impression was that King Edmund had his measure at that point.

King Edmund is bold, bouncing and bemused (a touch) out in front, from Mahonia (perhaps expecting some sort of surprise on the landing side) and El Dancer.

Race 3: Bob Kiernan Memorial Novice Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Aldertune     2: Abbevillian     3: Global Warming

Winner owned: Mrs Bunty Millard, trained: Paul Nicholls, ridden: Ruby Walsh

This turned into a head to head brawl between the two market leaders from the second last, with Aldertune always seeming to be travelling that bit better, but Abbevillian showing good signs of an indomitable Gaulish spirit. The margin in the end was half a length, but the efforts from a fair way out took their toll, and Global Warming was closing all the time in third, having been more patiently ridden than his rivals. For the winner, the form of his last run, where he split Silver Kate and Moleskin, is beginning to look better as time passes, and he may be one of the slower burners from his yard that will improve in small increments as his experience grows. 

A crazed racegoer, with no depth perception, tries to punch a triumphant Aldertune in the eye. Abbevillian seems to approve.

Race 4: Create Your Wedding At Plumpton Pavillion Handicap Chase [3m 2f]

1: Kawagino     2: Giolla De     3: Wheres Johnny

Winner owned: Mrs M Rayner / M Adams, trained: Seamus Mullins, ridden: Philip Hide

Who would have thought we would ever see Kawagino win a chase? More people than you would think, judging by the hefty market support. He did it with the aid of only three finishing, and Kawagino benefitted by Philip Hide sticking rigorously to the thin strip of better ground right on the rail. In contrast, Giolla De went wide in search of a less churned surface, but if he found it, he did not always look keen to enjoy the fruits it may have brought. Wheres Johnny made a couple of early mistakes and resentfully lumbered around to the finish. The only real threat to the winner on the final lap was Celian, who fell four out. Kawagino was travelling better, but who knows what may have transpired had someone been there to worry him. The eighth fence claimed Maori Legend and Oncle Kid, both of whom have one or two bits of appealing form for this sort of race, but are not certain to be suited by Plumpton. 

Teamgeist leads the field early on, from Celian (8). Maori Legend (4) and Oncle Kid (black cap) already have their fates entwined. The noseband and yellow cap suggests Kawagino is the one not quite getting in shot.

Race 5: Bluebird Community Partnership Handicap Chase [2m 4f]

1: Noun De La Thinte     2: Killfinnan Castle     3: Sir Bumble

Winner owned: Let's Live Racing, trained: Venetia Williams, ridden: Aidan Coleman

Being only a 0-90 handicap, it was tricky to find positives worth latching on to - a good run here, a Plumpton win there, a few flops easily blamed on fast ground. Noun De La Thinte did win last week, but in a hurdle, and her chase debut had lasted only as far as the second fence. Encouragingly, she prevailed here largely due to superior jumping in the latter stages of the race. Killfinnan Castle was the most resolute of the opposition, but he did not ever get in a threatening position and Sir Bumble, for whom the ground was a big question mark, got very tired in it over the last couple of furlongs, ending his slight challenge. The day's solitary Irish-trained runner, Rathnaskillogue, was fairly prominent in the betting, presumably due to doubts of many hues over all of his opponents, but he showed little spark and was pulled up. Zimbabwe won this in 2006, and his third attempt to follow-up was the worst yet.

Race 6: Bluebird Community Partnership Handicap  [2m]

1: Harcourt     2: Strategic Plan     3: Lemon Silk

Winner owned & trained: Paul Henderson, ridden: Mr R Mahon

A strange race, this, and the form is to be handled with care, like a poorly made firework labelled "Roman Canal" in red crayon. Grand Article ensured a very quick pace, and the runners behind all seemed to believe this to be too fast, but also with the fear of getting out of touch, so they all kind of hung on in there with varied degrees of comfort. Thus when the leader called enough, Harcourt was the one in place to take it up, but he was able to stay there, and win with a few lengths to spare. He had the odd old performance that gave him a chance in this, but gave no real clues that suggested today would be the day when he would snap a streak of awful form. Strategic Plan won last time in a tight three way finish, and had been harshly treated with a nine pound ratings rise, but being in general good spirits helped run a half-decent race again. Rather like his Lingfield run, Lemon Silk ran much better than the last couple of seasons, without ever quite suggesting he would win. 

Plus points

Diktalina (race 1): Put up a reasonable showing to finish fourth, about five lengths behind the runner-up, and should be good enough to win a small race or two. Her rider was suspended for weighing in heavy.

El Dancer (race 2): Did nothing wrong other than come second, and should be able to come good in chases somewhere.

Shoreacres (race 2): Similar to El Dancer, but he had been off for nine months, and although he has run perfectly well on soft ground, both wins were on good - so tiredness in the last furlong was excusable. 

Shoreacres is forgiven this duff attempt to soar over the last on the grounds of fatigue - in fairness, he looks as surprised as anyone. It was not typical of his jumping, but it ensured second place for El Dancer

Global Warming (race 3): As his name suggests, we know that there is something there, but the extent and future impact is still being speculated on, albeit with some reliable models to work with.

No Principles (race 3): Lost a place in the frame late on, but since a woeful bumper debut, he has shown steady ability in four races, and will get somewhere over hurdles, by hook or by crook.

Celian (race 4): Had done adequately on his chase debut in a weak race, and was set for the same until he fell. If his confidence is not too battered, he is rated to drop in grade, where there are races he is well up to winning. 

Noun De La Thinte (race 5): Showed that her jumping could be a plus in the lowest tiers, despite falling early on her sole previous run.

Killfinnan Castle (race 5): Won and was runner-up in the early spring on easy ground, and of five poor runs since, F67F came on good. Although far from reliable, wet ground seems a prerequisite for a good day.

Down arrows

Anak (race 1): Won a terrible race here on debut, made a mistake or two before falling at Fontwell, and ended up second today after being distracted by passing the stables and making a couple of blunders whilst he had other things on his mind. The mind is not yet keeping pace with the physical ability.

Franchoek (race 2): Is already looking a forlorn case over fences, being outjumped pretty much from the off. He could be turned over at short odds in a small field if repeating this type of run.

Mahonia (race 2): Has had just three previous runs in 2009 and not got within 20 lengths of the winner in any of them. A fall on his chase debut will hardly have done his confidence any good.

Dawn Choir (race 3): Got a hefty whack in mid-air at the fifth hurdle, but seemed to recover from it readily enough, only to drop out rapidly rounding the home turn. The thump may provide a reason, but it looked a definite step backward from his course and distance run here last time.

Kawagino (race 4): Three and a half years and thirty-three runs since he last won, today was probably not the confident turning of a new leaf.

Giolla De (race 4): After some promise on his UK debut, today he seemed a little bit negative when asked for an effort, and may be the kind to down tools when not able to cruise along in the comfort zone.

Zimbabwe (race 4): Had shown himself to be having a going day or two this year, but was back to his apathetic worst on this occasion.

Lord Francois (race 6): Was backed as if defeat was not an option on his debut for Tim Vaughan, but ran rather indifferently.