Plumpton Sunday

PLUMPTON was the latest venue to host a Premier fixture with their Sussex National day last Sunday, a card that featured a year-on-year increase in prize money from £105,000 to £195,000 and including the £75,000 Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle, the richest race ever run at the track, which is jointly owned by former BHB Chairman Peter Savill, the man whose vision is behind the Premierisation project.

It is important that new initiatives get off to a good start, and thanks to Joe Anderson, the Sussex Stayers Hurdle will remain in the news for a while.

Riding Neil Mulholland’s Transmission in the BetGoodwin-sponsored event, Anderson provided a remarkable recovery to gain a big-race success.

The gelding lurched through the sixth hurdle, catapulting Anderson forward so that he was lying across his mount’s neck and looking sure to hit the deck, but he somehow managed to work his way back into the saddle, albeit without irons for some time thereafter.

Willing partner

Despite such travails, Transmission stayed in contention and when Anderson regained his stirrups on the second circuit, proved a willing partner as he stayed on to lead at the last and draw on for a scarcely believable two and a quarter-length win over Htiti.

Caoilin Quinn hit the headlines when bagging a big-race double at Chepstow over Christmas and continued his excellent run of form when riding Dom Of Mary (David Bridgwater) to victory in the BetGoodwin Sussex National. Quinn was sensible enough to eschew the strong early gallop, and took Dom Of Mary round the inside, making his move on the home bend to win by a comfortable 10 lengths from Tommie Beau and Rose Of Arcadia.

This was the biggest win for the winning trainer since The Conditional landed the Ultima Handicap Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival. Like The Conditional, Dom of Mary carries the colours of Peter Cave, a long-time supporter of Bridgwater’s Stow yard.

Decker delivers feature prize

Wincanton Saturday

ON a very low-key weekend, Wincanton took centre stage for jumps fans with Sandown lost to waterlogging and Naas merely lost in the fog.

Dibble Decker (Tom Lacey/Stan Sheppard) was a winner of the feature handicap chase on the card, and provided the most exciting finish of the day as he got the best of a three-way battle from the last, edging out Iconic Muddle and long-time leader Georges Saint by half a length and a head.

Fast Buck (Jane Williams/Lorcan Williams) had been disappointing this season but jumped best and appreciated the return to testing ground when winning the two-mile handicap chase from Prince Quali, that rival finishing well after a slipshod round of jumping.

Trainer Simon Earle enjoyed his biggest success when the dashing grey Dextra Dove won the Grade 2 Agfa Chase back in the mists of time, and it was nice to see Earle getting a televised winner in the same colours when Rare Clouds landed the two miles and five furlongs handicap hurdle under James Best, the gelding ending a frustrating sequence in the process.

JOHN McConnell is always prolific with his UK runners and made a good start to 2024 when sending a brace of runners to Musselburgh last Friday. He was not disappointed either as both Jackpot De Choisel and Lieutenant Mayne came home victorious having won the novices handicap chase and the bumper, respectively. Ben Harvey did the steering on each occasion.

Anthony McCann was another Irish trainer making hay in the UK as he saddled Circles (Billy Loughnane) to win a seven-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton on the same Friday evening. The winner, a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor, raced in the trainer’s colours. Stuart Crawford and Daryl Jacob landed another winner with Brucio at Catterick on Thursday.