'It looks a race he should be very competitive in' - who fancies their runner in Plumpton's big-pot staying hurdle?

What a superb purse Plumpton has laid on for this staying handicap hurdle. To put its value into perspective, the winner will collect just £3,000 less than West Balboa did for bagging the 22-runner staying handicap hurdle on Grand National day.

With this mind, it is surprising just eight are taking their chance. Such a lucrative prize has even attracted Eldorado Allen, who ran in the Gold Cup ten months ago.

This could be a smart piece of placing by Joe Tizzard. It is apparent that Freddie Gingell offers excellent value for his 5lb claim and the top conditional partners a top-tier stayer whose hurdles mark is 10lb lower than it is over fences.

A recent fourth in Newbury's Coral Gold Cup, Britain's principal pre-Christmas staying handicap chase, proves his wellbeing. The test also provides something entirely different for Eldorado Allen as he is yet to go beyond 2m1f in six hurdles starts, the most recent of which came in the 2020 County at Cheltenham. 

If the masterplan fails to come to fruition it is likely one of the younger protagonists will be to blame. Hititi’s improvement shows few signs of slowing down, while Ramo bumped into a seriously well-handicapped type in Howlingmadmurdock when second at Carlisle last month. He is a half-brother to the Venetia Williams yard’s smart novice chaser Djelo and is open to further improvement. 

Novices graduating into open handicap company always merit close inspection and Transmission is also interesting upped in class. He is creeping back to form after leaving Colm Murphy and joining Neil Mulholland. The novice handicap at Ascot Transmission was placed in last time looked a strong heat and, on Racing Post Ratings, it represented his best effort since he chased home Inthepocket in a Wexford maiden hurdle on his rules debut in October 2022.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

'It's a race that needs supporting'

Sandown's Veterans' Chase might have been washed out on Saturday, but a pair of Nicky Henderson-trained old-timers go for glory in the £75,000 BetGoodwin Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle in Call Me Lord and On The Blind Side.

A combined 23 years old, with 64 starts and 16 wins, they very much fall into the 'popular' category and having won off a mark of 144 at Hereford last month, the six-time champion trainer is hopeful Call Me Lord can defy top weight and repeat the feat off just 1lb higher.

"It's a bloody big pot. It's great to have that sort of prize-money, so let's have a go," he said. "They're both very exposed, but Call Me Lord won the other day over too short a trip at Hereford. I'd have thought three miles would suit around Plumpton.

"I'm less sure how well it'll suit On The Blind Side. He loves Sandown and places like that where he can gallop away. It's not exactly his sort of track, but he was going to Sandown until it was off and it's a race that needs supporting, so we'll let him have a crack at it."

What they say

Chris Gordon, trainer of Annual Invictus
It's his first run back and I think he is a horse who is happier on a sounder surface, but it's a great pot at my favourite track, so we'll give it a go.

Joe Tizzard, trainer of Eldorado Allen
We saw the race and it's really good prize-money, so we stuck him in to see what mark they gave him and I think they've given him a nice mark. He's been running in some top-class races and he's running off 143, and Fred [Gingell, rider] claims off him, so it looks a race he should be very competitive in.

Robert Walford, trainer of Hititi
It's good prize-money, so we're having a go. Whether we'll be good enough I don't know, we got beat last time, but he's in good form and it's big money, so we want to have a bash at it. If we get beat, we get beat, when courses put on that sort of money I think they really need supporting.

Peter Bowen, trainer of Mario De Pail
We hope he runs better than at Chepstow. We've found no reason for why he ran like that, he seems fine, so we'll have another crack at the moment and we've Gavin Sheehan on board.

Venetia Williams, trainer of Ramo
He's run well around there before, but this is a big step up in class from when he was previously successful at Plumpton. It's a competitive race, but he goes there with a chance.

Neil Mulholland, trainer of Transmission
I've been very happy with how he's settled in since he's come over. He's run well twice and has improved a little each time. He's acted on the ground in the past and has got a nice weight, so hopefully he can make his presence felt.
Reporting by Stuart Riley

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