Plumpton 14/02/11

Sometimes common sense just does not work. Not that it often fails, but sometimes we have to accept that it is not up to the job. This was Plumpton's first meeting for a month, having sacrificed the end of January one - where the novice hurdle last year was snared by no less than Grands Crus. The gap meant that the running surface had a month for recovery and repair, or there was a neat slot should bad weather make extra meetings a possibility. Instead a reduced number of declarations thinned a bit more when Sunday rain caused the going to ease to heavy (in fact the track looked in good nick, and the horses rarely finished "heavy ground tired" but all races appeared to the naked eye to have gone at slow to middling pace, which would have helped). Then it became fashionable on Monday morning for lorries to overturn on motorways, rendering most of the ones in south-east England car parks, and a couple of early race runners failed to arrive in time. Having given the track a big thumbs up for common sense here, they did try to make a big deal of Valentine's Day, which the Plumpton crowd, to their eternal credit, ignored. This is the bolthole for down-market newspapers, talent-free commercial radio DJs and their tragically insecure listeners. Real people will resist. Resist!

Given the relatively low number of runners, let us try and give everyone a mention, although it could be struggle in the bumper.

Going: Heavy

Race 1: Create Your Wedding At Plumpton Pavilion mares' Novice Hurdle [2m]

1: Hazy Dawn     2: Lindsay's Dream     3: Mekong Miss

Winner owned: The King's Men, trained: Michael Scudamore, ridden: Tom Scudamore

Hazy Dawn (1st): Looked in fine fettle and lived up to the impression created, as she travelled well in second turning for home, and looked to have plenty in hand as the leader tired. It was a case of when Scud minor would pull the trigger, but he left it quite late, and had the runner-up not flopped through the last, he may have had to get a bit more urgent than he did. She had run in three bumpers, finishing close to a previous and subsequent winner, and ahead of a later winner, in the most recent, and this was a pretty good start over hurdles - with reservations, as per below.

Lindsay's Dream (2nd): Went for home on the final bend and stole a few lengths, but she was at the end of her tether before the last and a mistake there hastened the inevitable. There was a big doubt about her ability to act on heavy - which along with the third placed horse does raise the question whether any of the sextet actually coped with the ground. She has a fair fifth in a novice hurdle and a second in a good selling hurdle to her name, and should find a race or two, but the range of different races and conditions she has tackled make assessing her current rating of 99 very tricky.

Mekong Miss (3rd): Took the railway bend alongside the winner, and although she failed to sustain the effort, it was much more positive than her hurdles debut - tailed off in a seller. Worrying for those behind her.

Argentia (4th): Disappointed, as a mistake at the top of the hill quickly had her under pressure and dropping from the front to last, and hard ridden in the process. She later overtook a couple that more or less gave up. After showing little in two bumpers and a hurdle, she had been a much improved fifth last time - a race from which the second and fourth have since won (first and third not reappeared). The forward step offset by a backward one.

Stan's Cool Cat (5th): New to hurdles and encouragingly rated 82 on the flat, where she won but not prolifically, she came under pressure in the back straight and dropped out very tamely. She does seem the type who will either love or loathe hurdles, but word on the street was that the traffic meant that she only arrived in time to declare by a whisker. Any human that gets delayed in that way is entitled to boil over mentally, so why not a horse? She deserves another chance.

Mavalenta (6th): Failed to win on the flat in ten, and was rated only 67, but she was beaten only seventeen lengths on her hurdle debut at Kempton, behind a horse that is in the top dozen for the Triumph Hurdle based on ante-post prices. This was a really terrible follow up in a far lesser race, although the speed with which she lost her place after a mistake three out means an injury cannot be ruled out. 

Race 2: Timeform Jury Novices' Chase [3m 2f]

1: Alderluck     2: Fruity O'Rooney     3: Ballyegan

Winner owned: Mrs Celia Rayner, trained: Nick Gifford, ridden: Liam Treadwell

Alderluck (1st): Cruised through the race, ignored an error at the 13th, repeated it two out, but lost only a length and outstayed the runner-up on the flat. He had already won a bumper and a hurdle here, and this success was number five in his career - all of which have been on sharp tracks, and he has grown into a soft ground stayer that was implied, but not proven, in his early days. Future prospects rely on handicap chases for quite highly rated horses on those sort of courses.

Fruity O'Rooney (2nd): Went down without losing any kudos, as he was giving six pounds to the winner, who is rated two pounds higher. The margin was two lengths, but he was eased in the last few yards, which widened that a touch. He is not the biggest horse for a soft ground stayer, and perhaps he will need smaller fields, where there is less hurly burly, as brawling does not appeal as his strength.#

Ballyegan (3rd): Spoiled a promising chase start by unseating last time, and this was not an obviously winnable race at the weights, especially when it went according to plan for the main pair. He gave honourable chase to the third last, and then lost by far enough to avoid spoiling his rating. Target achieved?

Domoly (4th): Played up and unseated at the start, but was OK in the race itself, until the pace picked up and his jumping lost fluency. 

Ballinhassig (5th): Rated only 57, for failing in points, a couple of hurdles and a chase, he surprisingly hung in with the big lads until the 14th, but when he began to struggle, he really struggled. Probably best to consider the end result, and not the good two miles, as par for his course.

Still over two miles to go and Alderluck (2), Fruity O'Rooney (hidden), Ballyegan (4) and Domoly (5) are all wondering when Ballinhassig (3) is going to adopt his expected position at the back. Much, much later.

Race 3: Create Food And Party Design Novices' Handicap Hurdle [2m]

1: Beau Lake     2: Super Directa     3: The Bishops Baby

Winner owned: Bernard & Jan Wolford, trained: Suzy Smith, ridden: Paddy Brennan

Beau Lake (1st): He has been miserably out of form, but when the race cut up to three runners, it had the hallmarks of a tactical affair and with Paddy Brennan setting off in front and messing the others around a bit, it all fell in place for Beau Lake (who has at least been up to this form in the past) - dropping back to two miles may be coincidental rather than the cause. Whether we can trust it to be repeated is debatable.

Super Directa (2nd): Returned from an absence with cause for hope in a two and a half miler, but returning to his normal distance this time was a failure. Perhaps he still needed the run, but the evidence is building that even an oddity of a race like this at two miles is beyond his maximum pace.

The Bishops Baby (3rd): Finally got her win last time, and came with a positive move at the third last, but as soon as Beau Lake upped the tempo again, she dropped quickly out. A disappointing show, and the leader's tactics probably undid her.

Race 4: Race Passes @ Timeform.com Handicap Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Prince Du Seuil     2: Latin America     3: Frontier Spirit

Winner owned: Mrs Peter Prowting, trained: Alan King, ridden: Robert Thornton

Prince Du Seuil (1st): He has been a very tricky customer to deliver spot on to win, because he needs to believe that he is infinitely superior to the oppo. It worked in December at Folkestone, and did so again here today, as he cruised through the race and sauntered into the lead with time to admire himself in a mirror, should one have been available. All that his pilot had to do was remind him not to get complacent, without making him think that hard work was going on. Achieved.

Latin America (2nd): Since winning two bumpers, he has been an relenting shambles over hurdles, losing some quite mediocre races with comfort. Cheekpieces failed, and the first use of the visor, whilst seeming to do some good, was not enough to get him worrying the easily dismayed Prince Du Seuil into defeat.

Frontier Spirit (3rd): Another who has seemed to be regressing over time, he was with the first two as they rounded the final bend, but cracked approaching the last and was rapidly being hauled in for third when the line came in time. An unspirited showing.

Lupanar (4th): Winless since Dec08, but still only seven pounds below that day's rating, he has run well in losing his last three by 1.5 lengths twice and then a head. Those results coincided with use of cheekpieces and races over 2m 6f to 3m, so this was not to his current strength, and the raced unfolded accordingly. 

Wheres Johnny (5th): Sprung a two mile surprise here recently, but failed badly afterwards in a better race. A return to his old, preferred course and distance should have been a big help, but he ran really shoddily.

Lomitaar (6th): Has been very in and out as a hurdler, but had won on good and seemed to prefer better conditions than he encountered this time. Held up initially, he made progress to challenge on the bend at the top of the hill, but after jumping the fourth last hurdle, dropped out as fast as he arrived. That was probably inevitable in the mud. 

Race 5: Tysers Beginners' Chase [2m 1f]

1: Pascha Bere     2: Norman The Great    3: Paddy The Yank

Winner owned: Mr & Mrs Mark Tracey, trained: Nick Gifford, ridden: Liam Treadwell

Pascha Bere (1st): Jumped well for the most part in his chase debut and with first use of a visor, being left with daylight in front when the favourite fell early on. He had a scare when Norman The Great got a good run into the railway bend to take the lead, but showed far too much staying power for that rival to offer him an problems, and in the end secured a very easy success. He was rated about the favourite's equal as a hurdler, but his two wins were on better ground, and what he does in those conditions will prove more than this race where the challenges melted away.

Norman The Great (2nd): Seemed to be given an easy time of it when second here in his previous race, but under more positive tactics, he weakened dramatically in the last quarter of a mile, and probably ended up running a worse overall race. A bit ominous.

Paddy The Yank (3rd): Tagged along for a lap and then was ridden to complete for the final lap. He had failed to show in points either side of the Irish Sea, and is likely to be working towards a handicap mark at the moment.

Keki Buku (fell): Up against apparently easier oppo than when he lost last time, plus the unknown that was Pascha Bere, he took a hard fall at the third.

L'Homme De Nuit (unseated): Was minding his own business at the back, when he stumbled into the fallen Keki Buku and got rid of his rider whilst trying to take evasive action.

A fairly unexciting shot of Pascha Bere and Norman The Great strolling off into the second half of the race.

Race 6: Create Your Party At Plumpton Pavilion conditional jockeys Handicap Hurdle [2m]

1: Little Roxy     2: Stravita     3: Whitcombe Spirit

Winner owned: Ash Tree Inn Racing Club, trained: Anna Newton-Smith, ridden: Sam Twiston-Davies

Little Roxy (1st): Showed glimpses of promise before she had a handicap mark, and was a fair fifth and third in handicaps here either side of Christmas. Incidentally, in one, she was nineteen lengths ahead of Whitcombe Spirit, who opened a shorter price here. After sustained support in the betting, she ran strong staying sort of race (by two mile standards) to record her first win.

Stravita (2nd): Jim Best runners seem to backed off of the boards or drift like the Kon-Tiki in a cyclone, and she was very much in the latter camp. The market did for a while seem to have got it wrong, as she made good progress to challenge Little Roxy after the third last. However, it seemed that as soon as she got within spitting distance, she could not (or perhaps would not) do any more, and the winner opened up the gap again on the run-in.

Whitcombe Spirit (3rd): Since finishing behind Little Roxy, he had won at Folkestone, and then lost by not too far to The Bishops Baby at the same venue. Those were is testing ground over nearly a quarter of a mile further and the way he plodded on without threat suggests that he needs at least that trip.

Storm Command (4th): Lost his chance four from home, where he blundered and almost tipped Tom David over his left shoulder. The jockey made an acrobatic recovery, but did too well in the gymnastics and nearly forced himself out on the left side. Eventually back in the plate, and not yet detached, Storm Command felt the pressure from the third last and gradually slipped out of contention.

Red Perfection (5th): Seemed OK in early 2008, but has gone downhill since, and his last four efforts have been shockingly bad - two pulled ups, and defeats by 130 and 97 lengths. This was no better.

Race 7: Timeform TV Focus Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m 2f]

1: Cresswell Melody     2: Fitobust     3: Emperor's Choice

Winner owned: Bruce McKay, trained: Anthony Honeyball, ridden: Rachael Green

Cresswell Melody (1st): Finished a three lengths third in a five runner Ffos Las bumper on debut - three of the rivals had been badly tailed off since, so needed to have learnt from that experience. She kicked on rounding the final bend, and only one rival could go with her. She soon had that problem in hand, and despite definite signs of greenness when out in front, she was a fair bit superior.

Fitobust (2nd): Like many Seamus Mullins debutants, he appeared ready to do the job, and ran like it as well, putting plenty of daylight between himself and the pack. Although the extended distance bumpers here have not thrown up too many top notch horses, there was a certain likeability in the effort.

Emperor's Choice (3rd): Popular in the betting, possibly because Venetia Williams' other runner had been a traffic-based non-runner and yet they had persevered with the journey for just this one other horse. Making his debut, he began to struggle badly in the back straight, but after giving up on watching how he was faring, the penny dropped and he charged through the field to be placed.

Miss Bolte (4th): Beaten a very long way in fifth on her debut, the winner had since repeated over hurdles, the runner-up had triumphed in a maiden on the flat and the fourth had been placed in a novice hurdle at Cheltenham. A little bit of improvement, and she was a contender. The first pair left her struggling, but it was only Emperor's Choice making an implausible rally that deprived her of a place in the last few yards.

Generous Spender (5th): Tailed off by distances normally associated with Tour De France stages on his debut, he posted a spectacular improvement to be fifth here, being barely two lengths away from being placed.

Gilzean (6th): Making his debut, he made the running and then faded from the home turn. He could progress for the run, but if he was anything to get excited about, he ought to have been a bit closer to the first pair.

Blue Lovell (7th): Fourth on his debut in a fairly ordinary 1m 6f race, he was not far behind Gilzean, but was beaten overall by a similar distance, suggesting that the tougher stamina test was of little help.

Perazzi George (8th): Six lengths third on his first race, none of the first five had run since to give us a form guide to the race. He did not get that job off to a auspicious start.

Queen's Pawn (9th): Tailed off last on her debut, she did at least beat a couple this time.

Midnight King (10th): Also third on debut and beaten only four lengths or so, that race was at Towcester, where the bumpers are even less productive of class horses than Plumpton. He was the big disappointment of the race, and did not seem an easy ride.

Lisscow Lad (11th): Cracked first of the eleven and completed in his own time, although he did not really lose any more ground in the last three furlongs than he had already sacrificed.

Plus points  

Hazy Dawn (race 1): Has shown nice potential and is probably capable of improving on this win.

Lindsay's Dream (race 1): Is good enough to win a small handicap, or two.

Alderluck (race 2): Recently at his best on soft (more flexible in the past), he possibly has a big race in him at the likes of Kempton or Aintree.

Fruity O'Rooney (race 2): No shame in defeat, and there are still races to be won.

Lupanar (race 4): A long time winless, he was outpaced and stayed on, just as expected for a horse that has become a three miler of late. Cheekpieces are needed as well, and the losing streak could yet be broken next time he is in a long distance hurdle.

Fitobust (race 7): Lacked any experience, unlike most of his rivals, but showed up promisingly all the same.

Down arrows

Stan's Cool Cat (race 1): As noted, she has a valid excuse for being poor here, but another flop would be harder to forgive.

Domoly (race 2): Lost novice hurdles by 53, 39 and 39 lengths, and when put in a novice handicap chase, he was most unhelpfully rated 95. He pulled up then, and only struggled home today. If he has winning ability, the current rating is not going to draw it out.

The Bishops Baby (race 3): Has been having a good season, but gave us a reminder here that she is a bit of a fusspot and prefers to sit in the pack during a truly run race, challenging late.

Prince Du Seuil (race 4): Needs everything to go his way, and if a short price to follow up, he is definitely one to look to oppose.

Latin America (race 4): Did better, but this was not a result to be treating with huge respect.

Wheres Johnny (race 4): Despite the steady pace, he was ridden along before halfway. The first signs that the mental revitalisation when abandoning chases is beginning to wear off.

Norman The Great (race 5): Showed symptoms of needing to be kidded along and resenting hard work.

Stravita (race 6): May have been found out by the ground, but the "here  she comes, no she doesn't" finish was not encouraging.

UK-Jumping selections

Ballyegan (race 2): Third best at the weights by some margin, he had a clear round and was third. No more could have been expected without the main two doing something daft.