Tag Archive for: Plumpton

Weather woes continue as frost claims Plumpton card

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Wednesday’s card at Plumpton has been cancelled due to a frozen track.

Clerk of the course Marcus Waters inspected the track at 8.30am and felt that conditions would not be raceable in time for the meeting to go ahead.

He said: “We got down to minus 2C and we were at that temperature for most of the night.

Newbury also cancelled their Wednesday fixture
Newbury also cancelled their Wednesday fixture (David Davies/PA)

“I thought the frost had got a bit worse from when I walked the track at 6am and with temperatures slow enough to rise today, we’re not sure we’ll be raceable later on today.

“It’s very disappointing but we thought it was fairer to everyone to make a decision rather than delay.”

With Newbury already called off, there will be no jumps racing in Britain for a second day. Wolverhampton’s all-weather card goes ahead after the track passed a second precautionary inspection following overnight snow.

Wincanton's Thursday card is subject to an inspection
Wincanton’s Thursday card is subject to an inspection (David Davies/PA)

Thursday’s National Hunt action hinges on an 8am inspection on raceday at Wincanton ahead of their Somerset National meeting, with Ludlow cancelled following an inspection on Wednesday morning.

Officials at Ludlow report the track to be frozen in places with further frost forecast.

Newcastle’s Thursday card was called off on Tuesday for similar reasons while Friday’s fixture at Market Rasen, which features the Listed Alan Swinbank mares’ bumper, is subject to a noon inspection on Thursday.

Fairyhouse is scheduled to race on Thursday
Fairyhouse is scheduled to race on Thursday (Niall Carson/PA)

Fairyhouse will have to pass a 3pm inspection on Wednesday if the scheduled meeting on Thursday is to go ahead.

Areas of the track are not fit for racing due to frozen ground, with temperatures not forecast to rise significantly.

Stage Star back to winning ways with ease at Plumpton

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Stage Star was the highlight of a treble for Harry Cobden at Plumpton on Monday, as Paul Nicholls’ charge got his novice chasing career back on track with a bloodless victory.

A Grade One winner over hurdles, the seven-year-old made a bright start to life over the larger obstacles at Warwick, but was then bitterly disappointing when sent off odds-on for a Grade Two at Newbury in November.

Dropped into calmer waters for the Phone Betting At Goodwin Racing 08000 421 321 Novices’ Chase, the Ditcheat inmate had just the Fergal O’Brien-trained Mortlach to beat and did so with ease, producing a fine round of jumping in the hands of Harry Cobden to oblige favourite-backers at 1-9.

“I was very pleased with that,” Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing. “I don’t think he was right for whatever reason at Newbury the last day, he hung and the ground was fast enough for him.

“Today he looked better beforehand, and he went round there with a spring in his step, jumped well and looks to be back on form.

“He has to go left-handed and there’s quite a valuable novice chase at Warwick in two weeks’ time and there is a very valuable race at Lingfield in three weeks’ time, so it would be one of those I expect next.

“He will definitely have entries at Cheltenham in both the two and a half (Turners) and over three (Brown Advisory). If we get him right we’ll definitely go for one of them.”

Cobden added to his tally when he steered Milton Harris’ Twinjets (1-3 favourite) to a nine-length victory in the Free Bet Nose Losers At Betgoodwin EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.

It was the six-year-old’s fourth victory in five starts under rules and the Sutton Veny handler is eyeing a trip to Sandown on March 11.

“To be fair to him he’s only been beat once and he came back wrong that day,” said Harris of the winner.

“Turning in I thought ‘this could be a race’ but he’s ended up winning nine lengths so he’s a fair horse.

“He’s just a bit immature – he jumps a bit left then will go a bit right – but he will definitely be all right. How far we go with him? I don’t know. Of course life gets a bit difficult now with a double penalty.

“But he could go for something like the EBF Final at Sandown where he might get his ground and he’ll get the trip.

“He needs another run and he needs another run without being too silly. You’d like to get in there off 120-something wouldn’t you, but he’s better than that you would think.”

Harris and Cobden combined again to round off the day in style when El Muchacho (7-2) landed the concluding Zoe Davison Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

Joe Tizzard’s Atakan (11-4) ground down the tough 5-2 favourite Blame The Game in the shadow of the post to edge the feature BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase in the hands of Brendan Powell.

“We’ve always quite liked him and his fist ever time on the track at Carlisle he finished sixth,” said Powell.

“I don’t think he’d seen much grass before and he gave me a feel he would make a nice staying chaser and I quietly fancied him today, I thought we’d be placed definitely.

“For a horse that is only having his third run over fences his jumping is good. He made all when he won round here in a novice chase, but I didn’t want to commit him too soon and it worked out quite well as I had some company and something to aim at turning in. I thought I would keep waiting on him and thankfully it worked.

“They are fit and you know they will keep going but he’s a horse I just wanted to have one go at today, especially in a race like this, and I didn’t really want to chuck the race away by taking it up too soon.”

There was also an impressive win on the card for Gary Moore’s Hansard (5-2), who gave 7lb and a two-length beating to 4-7 favourite Master Chewy in the Download The BetGoodwin App Novices’ Hurdle.

Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton
Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton (Tim Goode/PA)

“The second horse is rated 126 and we’ve given it 7lb,” said winning rider Jamie Moore.

“My lad has actually pulled up over the last two, I know I haven’t won by a mile but he wasn’t doing an awful lot in front. He travels round good, he’s by The Gurkha so he has got a pit of poke. I think he’ll be a nice horse.

“He won on good ground at Huntingdon and Huntingdon has been quick all year. We were worried at Huntingdon that it would be too quick and we were worried today it would be too slow.

“He’s very tough and hardy. He ran in four bumpers in four months in Ireland for Charles O’Brien and won his final one of them, so he could be progressing. He’s a nice horse.”