A 1-9 victory by Tony McCoy on board trainer Anthony Honeyball’s Regal Encore kicked off Plumpton’s seven-race card yesterday in the two mile novice hurdle. The winning marging was just under two lengths with Saffron Prince in second place and the promising Gary Moore-trained Mr Spiggott in third place, on only his second start.

Tony McCoy in double form at Plumpton

McCoy went on to win the SIS Live Novice Chase with the Alan King-trained Uxizandre, another odds-on favourite at 8-11, but he admitted the victory was not entirely straightforward.

“Coming off the final bend he started to pull up a bit, but he was very brave and is getting the hang of it, He is not overly big, but thinks he is. He’s brave and I’d rather have a braver one than a wimp,” he said.

He was out of luck in the Novice Hurdle race over 2m 5f when he partnered the 6-4 favourite V Kneck trained by Paul Nicholls. This horse never settled, throwing his head in the air and was beaten into second place by 12-1 shot Wither Ye Not, trained by Ben Case and ridden by amateur rider Max Kendrum.

It was only the third ride in public for this young amateur rider, and his first win Under Rules. He said: “I was a little lucky that another horse, Carole’s Destrier, fell at the last and would have won, but Wither Ye Not is a nice horse and did well.” Grace and Fortune, trained in West Sussex by Richard Rowe,  kept on well to finish third at 25-1.

Oliver Sherwood and Leighton Aspell made the two mile four furlong Handicap Chase look easy,with Beforeall winning by seven lengths. The conistent grey Venetian Lad, trained by Lydia Richards never runs a bad race and was in second place at 16-1 with usual jockey Marc Goldstein on board.  Third place went to Carpincho.

Venetian Lad and Marc Goldstein

Course specialist Upton Mead, trained near Gatwick by Kevin Tork, was a distant finisher and could be feeling the effects of what was his fourth race in only four weeks.

Sussex trainers did well in general and there was an impressive ride by Joshua Moore on 4-1 shot The Game Is A Foot, to win the Anice Catering Handicap Hurdle handicap for his father Gary.

Trainer Gary Moore and son Joshua

The rider took the initiative by going into the lead at the second last to finish clear of Superciliary and Our Phyli and Gary Moore said: ” It’s been a good week for us both. The horse showed promise and did it well. Josh rode him differently and it got results.”

Suzie Smith who trains at Lewes had a well-deserved win in the Amateur Rider Hurdle Race over two miles five furlongs when 11-4 shot Invicta Lake sped away from the field in the final circuit to win easily with Harry Bannister in the saddle.The whole field hacked at a very slow pace round the first circuit, playing into the hands of Invicta Lake.

The National Hunt Flat Race was won by favourite Tullyesker Hill, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Tom Scudamore- one to watch out for over obstacles later.

Put the next three dates at Plumpton in your diary, for there is more excellent racing in store. A December Raceday takes place, starting at 12.40pm on  Monday December 2; A Christmas Raceday is on Monday December 16, starting at 12.20pm and the New Year starts with a bang on Sunday January 5 with an ATR Sussex National Raceday at 12.55pm.

ONE of Fontwell Park’s richest racedays, featuring both the Southern National Handicap Steeplechase and the popular Salmon Spray Challenge Trophy, attracted an excellent crowd yesterday, when the well-fancied Boyfromnowhere, trained by Rebecca Curtis in Newport, and ridden by 5lb claimer Eamonn Corbett won the Southern National.

Southern National Winner Boyfromnowhere with jockey Eamonn Corbett and owners

Delighted owners Alan Rhead and Geoffrey Williams welcomed back Boyfromnowhere, in the absence of the six-year-old’s trainer. They praised Eamonn Corbett for the excellent ride he gave the six-year-old Old Vic gelding, which they have owned for 18 months. They added that the Southern National had been his target en route to the Welsh National, which was now Boyfromnowhere’s major target.

Jockey Eamonn Corbett receives his Southern National prize

Then the  presitigious Salmon Spray Handicap Hurdle Race went to locally-trained Knight of Pleasure- a 5-2 shot trained near Horsham by Gary Moore and ridden by his son Joshua.

Knight of Pleasure, owned by The Knights of Pleasure Racing Grouup,  took the Salmon Spray Challenge Trophy in style under a fluent ride from Joshua Moore, who claims 3lbs. He was bred by Bryan Fry, who lives near Chichester and who is a member of the owning group. He said: “I’m delighted with this win. I

Joshua Moore aboard Salmon Spray winner Knight of Pleasure

The Knights of Pleasure owners group receiving the Salmon Spray trophy

also have a filly foal from the same mare and it is particularly special to see a horse you have bred win such a prestigious race.”

Trainer Gary Moore said: “This is his first year in handicaps and I will see how he comes out of this race before I make any definite plans for the future for him.”

Joshua Moore was quickly back in the winner’s spot in the following race- the John Rogerson Memorial Novices’ Limited Handicap Steeplechase- on board Colebrooke,a 10-1 shot trained at Newport Pagnell by Renee Robeson. The five-year-old gelding has won juvenile hurdles at Fontwell in the past and this was his first run over bigger obstacles.

Cole Harden with jockey Gavin Sheehan and owners

The opening Maiden Hurdle race was won by Cole Harden, a four-year-old gelding owned by Mrs Jill Eynon and Mr Robin Eynon, ridden by Gavin Sheehan and trained at Upper Lambourne by Warren Greatrex. This horse had won both his bumper races  and was fourth on his hurdling debut at Fontwell last month.

His trainer said he had run him at Fontwell in a tongue tie, not because he had any breathing problems, but to make him concentrate.

Winning trainer Warren Greatrex was joined by his young daughters following the victory

” He ran a bit green last time  but he loves this ground and jumped much better today. He’s only four and now we know we have something to build on,” said his trainer.

Conditional jockey Connor Shoemark, who turned professional after a season as an amateur rider when he enjoyed some good wins, certainly made his value in the saddle apparent when he rode a double for trainer Neil Mulholland at the meeting. He impressed with a well-produced finish on board The Young Master in the opening Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Race. The four-year-old gelding reversed the tables with the fancied Brass Monkey, which had got the better of him at Southwell nine days previously.

Conor Shoemark and The Young Master won the opener

Shoemark’s second leg of the double came in the Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Steeplechase when he partnered Waltzing Tornado, 5-2 favourite, to victory in the Conditional Jockeys Handicap Chase, again for the same trainer.

An old hand at Fontwell, Orvita, trained by Helen Nelmes at Dorchester, was back to his very best when winning the final handicap hurdle of the day at 16-1. He had needed the run at Plumpton recently when making his seasonal appearance.

His trainer explained at the time that her son, who normally goes sheep-shearing in New Zealand in the early part of every year, had stayed in England longer to help her prepare this popular 11-year-old gelding for the season, ridden to victory by Richie McLernon.

Fontwell Park’s next meeting is on Wednesday November 26

A team comprising British and Irish jockeys will take part in a very special winter jockey’s championship today. Kieren Fallon will captain the team to take on local riders at Garrison Savannah racecourse in Barbados.

Kieren Fallon captains the British/Irish team

His fellow members will be Jimmy Fortune, Seb Sanders and Pat Smullen and they take on Anderson Trotman, Antonio Bishop, Damario Bynoe and Antonio Whitehall in the five-race event.

The visiting team has done well in the draw for horses and Fallon partners a quartet trained locally by Victor Cheeseman- all of which are well-fancied.

Fallon said it would be an exciting afternoon and his team praised the trackl- but at the same time realise that have some tough opposition with local riders who know every contour well.

The event has attracted a three-year sponsorship from the Barbados Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, Courtesy Garage/Hyundai, Mango Bay Barbados and the island’s tourism authority. It is hoped that next year the championship will include a team from the United States.

In a statement, Sir David Seale, president of the Barbados Turf Club, said: “We are thrilled to have attracted such an eminent team of visiting riders. Our track may be small but it is so intimate and the welcome given to winning jockeys is unrivalled elsewhere.”

It’s fingers crossed that the rain abates and allows the Totepool Southern National Raceday to take place at Fontwell on Sunday with some quality horses entered for the race. Fontwell’s last meeting was cancelled because the bottom corner of the track was waterlogged.

The going there is currently heavy and this raceday is one of the most popular fixtures of Fontwell’s calendar featuring both the Southern National, the second richest race of the year there, supported by the popular Salmon Spray Challenge Trophy.

Early entries for the feature chase with booked jockeys at this stage include the Venetia Williams’ trained Emperors Choice ridden by Aiden Coleman, with three wins under his belt last season. Bucks Bond with Nick Schofield in the saddle could represent Paul Nicholls and Invesctivise has been entered by Richard Lee, with useful claimer Micheal Nolan booked to ride.

Double Chocolate after a previous Fontwell win with owners Edwina and John Huckle

An interesting entry is Double Chocolate, a previous course winner now trained by John O’Shea. He has been placed twice this season over inadequate distances and could come into his own over this trip.

Those currently entered for the Salmon Spray Hurdle include the Warren Greatex Dolatulo, ridden by talented claimer Gavin Sheehan. This horse had three wins to his credit last season and has two seconds under his belt this term.

Gary Moore runners can never be discounted and Knight of Pleasure ridden by son Joshua is pencilled in while an interesting entry is that of Ozare, trained at Findon by Philip Hide, with Leighton Aspell booked for the ride.

Recent Plumpton winner Ashdown Lad, again with Felix de Giles riding, has been entered by Tom Symonds and this horse loved the heavy ground at Plumpton when he won there recently.

Ashdown Lad – recent Plumpton winner

There is more than £54,000 prize money in total for the day, ensuring some top class racing with highly competitive cards and plenty of exciting action for all the family.

The first race is at 12.45pm and the last race at 4pm.  The two feature races have always attracted top quality entries, ensuring an excellent day of racing.

A French theme will mark Plumpton Racecourse’s next meeting next Monday November 18, to celebrate the twinning of the popular Sussex track with French Racecourse, Pompadour.

Oustanding viewing facilities and competitive racing at Plumpton

Racing features a quality card of seven races, with the first race at 12.50pm and last at 3.50pm and it promises to be another day of quallity racing. This includes a unique Anglo-French Amateur Raiders race and the first of Plumpton’s Cheltenham bonus race series, a Novices Steeplechase over two and a half miles.

This exciting bonus initiative, sponsored by horse racing broadcasters SIS, offers the connections of a horse that wins one of five nominated Novice Chases at Plumpton the opportunity to scoop a valuable £60,000 cash bonus if it goes on to win any steeple chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

To mark the French theme, there will be special dishes for diners in the Paddock Restaurant and hospitality suites.

To buy tickets go to:http://plumptonracecourse.co.uk/tickets/fixtures-buytickets/