Plumpton – Monday 13th December

December has been hard graft so far and as a result, we find ourselves slightly behind on the quest for making it another winning month. However, we are yet to even get to the halfway mark and we have some brilliant racing over Christmas to hopefully change our fortunes. However, for now, concentration is firmly moved to Plumpton, which hosts a good Monday card for it’s type, and has a couple of intriguing races to get stuck into. 

Starting off with the 12.30 race, which is arguably one of the most interesting of the entire day, this 2m novice hurdle has three viable options at the top of the market. For myself, I am going to take a risk (pardon the pun) on Aucunrisque – who has to defy a lack of hurdling experience but brings a solid level of bumper form to the table on this first start over hurdles. He won a Stratford bumper this season before running two huge races at Cheltenham at their October / November meetings, where a tendency to hang to his left at the business end of the races probably cost him on both occasions. A track like Plumpton promises to suit and his trainer Chris Gordon has an excellent record at this venue. He gets weight from Stream of Stars and I would be willing to take on the juvenile in this type of contest. At a best price of 2/1 with Paddy Power, let’s hope he runs well.

The 1.00 race is another exciting race and although there are only three going to post, this is a top race for its kind. The presence of For Pleasure should really set this race up to be a helter skelter type of race, and he is the horse I will be siding with, and it’s for more than the old adage of ‘back the outsider of three’. This horse has some fine form in the book and his two chasing starts at Warwick have offered encouragement, even bearing in mind that he is a bit of a lunatic out in front. His jumping was decent last time out and Plumpton’s course should suit. He has a small bit to find at the weights with Nassalam, but his novice hurdle form reads very well and he should go close on his third start over the big sticks. A general 5/2 chance, he should go well.

We will be waiting a couple of hours to get to the 3.00 race, which is the 2m4f handicap chase and sees a good field of 14 going to post with plenty of chances. I’ll be taking a chance on the last time out winner, Don’t be Robin, who won impressively over this course and distance a few weeks ago at a big price. Perhaps it was because he was a shock winner last time that people don’t think he can repeat the feat, but I saw no fluke in that performance. He has been raised seven pounds by the assessor but I think that’s reasonable for what he achieved and he might still be improving and could go close again. SkyBet are generously playing 5 places in this race, and I will be backing this horse at 17/2 in the each way market. 

The final race on the day is the 3.30 and we will hopefully be saying it’s the lucky last after the bumper. Harry Fry brings a well bred newcomer to this race, who has been subject to some market support and should be afforded the greatest deal of respect as a result. However, I will be siding with the standard bearer in this market, and Peerless Beauty was perhaps a shade unlucky not to get her head in front last time out at Wetherby and can be given a second chance to make amends. She has run two races full of promise for this yard and deserves a day in the sun to show for her efforts so far. One would assume that normal hold up tactics will be applied for this horse, and a price of 10/3 with William Hill may seem generous.