Plumpton 04/04/10

Plumpton is often afflicted with small fields once April comes, but usually that is due to fast ground, not heavy. And the meeting did end on an extraordinary landmark that can only be explained with the phrase "that's Plumpton at Easter for you."

Going: Heavy (though to the eye not as holding or generally testing as is often the case at Plumpton)

Race 1: Best Odds Guaranteed at totesport.com Novice Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Misstree Dancer     2: Latin America     3: Fin Vin De Leu

Winner owned: Mrs Sarah Faulks, trained: Nick Mitchell, ridden: Harry Skelton

An exciting finish was served up as the opening course on a seven race card, and judging by the noise coming from the stand, as all three involved in it were quite fancied, the audience was immediately hooked. At the final flight, Fin Vin De Leu had a slight lead, but he stumbled to his right on landing and lost the initiative. On the run in, Misstree Dancer hung back into him, incurring a suspension for her rider, causing knock on interference to Latin America, but it was deemed that the result was not affected. She had won a very weak Newton Abbot race with ease last time, and this success was a definite step up for her. Since his two bumper wins and a midfield Festival finish, Latin America has now lost three times over hurdles. Badly here first time, not too badly when well backed at Fontwell, and even closer today, staying on strongly at the death. Early leader Secret Stash faded back into fourth coming into the straight. His Kempton hurdle win was on good, and although he won a bumper on heavy at Chepstow, he showed what he thought of that by trying to run out, so having muddy success on his CV could be a deception.

Misstree Dancer (7) starts as she means to go on, from Secret Stash. Fin Vin De Leu and Latin America are next, whilst Big Bertie (green), Hazy Bay (blue and red) and Optimum Asset (yellow sleeves) all show due deference to shorter priced horses

Race 2: totesport 0800 221 221 conditional jockeys' Selling Handicap Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Geography     2: Saddlers Mot     3: Lightening Fire

Winner owned: Geography Partnership, trained: Jim Best, ridden: Andrew Glassonbury

Just over a year ago, Geography ran in a non-seller off of a rating of 95 over course, distance and going and was beaten just under nine lengths. That, and his trainer's track record in poor quality handicap hurdles at Plumpton, made him a popular betting choice today running from a mark of 80, even though his most recent win had been over three and a quarter miles. In the end, that extra stamina proved decisive as he made his way through the field with all the verve and panache of a runaway steam roller, just heading Saddlers Mot by being quicker away at the last, and desperately clinging on to that precious six inch lead all the way to the line. There were no bids for the winner.

Saddlers Mot (1) and Geography (giant cheekpieces) over the final flight, from Lightening Fire

Race 3: Free Racing Post Form At totesport.com Novice Handicap Chase [2m 1f]

1: Star Galaxy     2: She's Humble     3: Sumdancer

Winner owned: Don Gould, trained: John Flint, ridden: Rhys Flint

Another step in Star Galaxy's amazing season, although this was hardly the toughest assignment in his five wins, with the inconsistent Sumdancer not on a good day, and the highly unprolific She's Humble doing a half cocked job of trying to worry Star Galaxy out of it. As at last October, the star of the show had been unfortunate enough to fail to win in a mere thirty-eight tries, but has since gone 1R11211 and seen his handicap mark rise from 68 to today's 102. And whilst Rhys Flint has been on board for the last six races, the sequence was kicked off with Donal Devereux on board. Forget Tony Bliar, it is the Flint/Devereux team we should be making envoys to the middle east, because bringing a lasting peace to the region is a piece of cake compared to what they have managed with Star Galaxy.

Race 4: totesport.com Handicap Hurdle [2m]

1: Olympian     2: Raquel White     3: Just Beware

Winner owned & trained: PW Middleton, ridden: Andrew Glassonbury

The formbook and the initial betting suggested that the big race of the day was as competitive seven runner race as could be asked for, but the money came for Olympian and he went off 11/4 favourite. And he justified the support in decisive manner, having the race in the bag at the second last, with only Raquel White in touching distance, and she was doing that under sufferance. Going out onto the last lap, the race was looking very different, as Sonning Star had kicked on and got all bar the winner struggling. However, his attack petered out by the third last hurdle, and a blunder at the final obstacle allowed Just Beware to stay on past him for third. Spear Thistle was having his third run of 2010 and all of them have been dreadful, but today he pulled up rather than have the degree of woefulness easily measured. However, there has to be the chance that he will snap out of it at some stage - but when?

Race 5: More Live Football Betting at totesport.com Novice Handicap Chase [3m 2f]

1: Quartz Du Montceau     2: Hobb's Dream     3: Stockton Flyer

Winner owned: S Hicks, trained: Anna Newton-Smith, ridden: Peter Toole

All credit to Quartz Du Montceau, as after a couple of lacklustre runs on the end of a long, busy season, he rallied his weary limbs and took this modest race in an authoritative way. His main weapon was superior jumping, which made ground at most of the obstacles, even though Hobb's Dream negotiated the fences better than has often been the case in the past - apart from a mistake two out, which merely put a full stop on a result that was looking inevitable at the time. Stockton Flyer never really travelled with any conviction, but did enough to beat Sailor's Sovereign (unable to repeat a couple of improved efforts recently) and Mooncoin Man (did not jump well enough).

Stockton Flyer has a radical difference of directional opinion at the start, but Quartz Du Montceau (mostly hidden), Sailor's Sovereign (6), Mooncoin Man (5) and Hobb's Dream (4) go about things more conventionally.

Race 6: Bet Live In-Play at totesport.com Handicap Chase [2m 4f]

1: Kappelhoff     2: The Hardy Boy     3: Allterrain

Winner owned & trained: Lydia Richards, ridden: Mattie Batchelor

This was the point of the afternoon where mad things began to happen. Four non-runners left only a trio of combatants in this, and as Allterrain's achievements to date lay mainly in the Irish pointing arena - his British chase form amounting to a series of horrendous drubbings by much greater talents - he was hard to summon any faith in. This left six time course and distance winner The Hardy Boy only having to beat the teenager Kappelhoff to record number seven here, and Kappelhoff has become such a Fontwell specialist (all four wins there) that connections had generally ceased bothering to run elsewhere. And it was all going to plan for two miles, but when Kappelhoff challenged and took the lead, The Hardy Boy had zero in the way of response, and the race was a procession from that point. Before this, the winner's course record was U773, the latter a thirty length beating, so let us not assume the old dog has learnt a new trick!

Race 7: totesportcasino.com Maiden Hurdle [2m]

1: Ramvaswani     2: Spent     3: Annie The Doc

Winner owned: NJ Catterwell, M Marris, NB King, trained: Neil King, ridden: Alex Merriam

Inspired by the achievement of Kappelhoff before him (perhaps), success dodger of great repute Ramvaswani chose this moment to end his losing streak on fifty-four, going all the way back to his debut at The Curragh in 2006. Of that tally there had been three chases and forty-three hurdles, so there was no way to explain how this was achieved, especially as Spent was nipping at his heels all the way to the line, and these are the sort of circumstances that have been more than enough for a downing of tools in the past. Bizarrely, there were people queuing to collect after this race, and with only two places and the runner-up 15/8, it can only be presumed that some were prepared to get involved on the nutter each-way. More regular supporters (Sid & Doris Bonkers?) will still be heavily out of pocket. Lucky Sunny was odds-on in his first hurdle race, having been first and third in his bumpers. The form of those races has not worked out, and his price was more a condemnation of the oppo than a great compliment to him. He ended up fourth.

The impossible unfolds before our eyes. Spent (left) is at least horrified by what he is letting happen

Plus Points

Latin America (race 1): Has not run at all badly in his last two races, even if a blank season so far is a bit of a downer considering what he managed in bumpers.

Olympian (race 4): Will go up a fair bit for this but has to be of interest if making a quick reappearance. History says that better ground and a less taxing two miles would suit even better.

Lord Singer (race 4): In a race full of front runners, he was not allowed to bowl along in front, in a carefree, stamina sapping style, but was restrained at the back. He clearly hated this imposition on his regular routine, so expect normal service to be resumed when making all is a realistic option again.

Annie The Doc (race 7): Was a maiden on the flat in Ireland, but not a hopeless one, and her hurdling form had been a disappointment bearing that in mind. First time use of a tongue strap seemed to help, and there may be a very low grade handicap success in her.

Down Arrows

Saddlers Mot (race 2): Is winless, and has refused to race, and did not appear to give her all when it mattered on this occasion.

Lightening Fire (race 2): Won his last race, and previously has a course and distance win on soft. These were noteworthy as being sellers, but delve a bit deeper and his record at the bottom tier is a less encouraging two from sixteen after today's defeat.

She's Humble (race 3): On face value, she posted another encouraging run, but it was a race full of loons and worryguts' and she still did not have the determination to make the most of it.

Sonning Star (race 4): Did not appear to have retained the vim he showed in his battling Fakenham win.

The Hardy Boy (race 6): Everything seemed right for him, and he got it wrong. It has to be said that he has not been firing on all cylinders this season and even the win he has gained owed a lot to bad opposition in the wrong place at the wrong time (for them).

Ramvaswani (race 7): The next Star Galaxy? Probably not.

Spent (race 7): Could not get past Ramvaswani, and although he won a maiden handicap on the flat (in 2008 and the second, third, fifth and sixth are still maidens), his true colours have emerged over hurdles - six runs, three seconds.