Will Reilly’s best bets for Monday’s jumps card at Plumpton.
MONDAY’S PLUMPTON TIPS
- 13:00 Tom Taggle (2/1)
- 13:30 Le Cold Grey (NAP) (2/1)
- 14:00 Walk In The West (4/1)
- 14:30 Kocktail Bleu – He is now a non-runner
- 15:00 Tommie Beau (9/2)
- 15:30 Cayman Dancer (15/2)
- 16:00 Calme Olympien (NB) (6/1)
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Previews and Selections, starting with the feature race:
14:30: Southern Cranes Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f116y, 3yo+, £55,000
The feature race is a £55,000 handicap hurdle, which has attracted a field of 13 runners. The eye is drawn to trainer Chris Gordon, who has a very good record at this venue. He runs Kocktail Bleu, who will be ridden by Tom Cannon. He finished second in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton last December then won at Newbury before running respectably on his handicap debut at Sandown in April.
His first run since then came on October 10th at Chepstow when he ran respectably in finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle. He’s been dropped a pound in the ratings for that and looks reasonably handicapped on a mark of 126.
This said, Gordon also runs Goodwin, who will run from just three pounds above his course-and-distance winning mark in April and loves this track, with three of his six wins having come at the venue. Fern O’Brien will take five pounds off his back, too.
Ireland is represented in the race by the Charles Byrnes-trained Let Him B, who will be ridden by his son Philip and will race in a tongue-tie for the first time. (We could well be offering four places on the race.)
13:00: Richard Soane Roofing Services Novices’ Handicap Chase, 4yo+ rated 0-100, £8,150
The only runner with chasing experience is Tom Taggle. He was a well-beaten third at Chepstow last time out, but that run came off a break. A repeat of his third at Chepstow the time before could well prove to be enough to land this four-runner affair. Hard Stare won a point-to-point in January last year but has yet to build on that. This will be his first run in a handicap, as it will be for the other two runners, Could Be You, who probably ran his best race under Rules last time in a handicap hurdle at Stratford, and Lancier Des Obeaux, whose five runs over hurdles thus far have been modest.
13:30: Cappagh Browne Utilities Ltd Maiden Hurdle, 2m4f116y, 4yo+, £10,000
In this maiden hurdle, Paul Nicholls‘ Le Cold Grey will be running for the first time since a breathing operation. He has run well so far in two bumpers and is closely related to Willie Mullins’ Grade 1 novice chase and Grade 1 novice hurdle winner, Gaillard Du Mesnil. He has to be of interest. Keep an eye on the betting. A half-brother to Grade 1-winning chaser Romeo Coolio, Bailly’s Comet showed more than enough in bumpers to suggest that he can do well over hurdles.
14:00: Novices’ Handicap Chase, 2m3f166y, 4yo+ rated 0-100, £8,150
Bred to be a chaser – his dam is the Willie Mullins-trained Grade 2 and 3 chase winner Westerner Lady – Walk In The West could be of interest in this on his chasing debut. Sam Twiston-Davies takes the ride. As ever, check for market clues.
15:00: Kalm Club Handicap Chase, 4yo+ rated 0-130, 3m1f157y, £22,350
In this £22,350 handicap chase, Paul Nicholls’ Rickety Bridge is on a four-timer. He’s been raised eight pounds for an 8.5 length win in a four-runner affair at Newton Abbot on June 12th so has an absence to overcome in order to keep the run going.
If he is rusty, three-time c/d winner Tommie Beau could take advantage. He is now an 11yo and is rated 129, but he won from a mark of 127 at Cartmel on Aug 31 and his rider will take five pounds off his back (as he did at Cartmel). A recent run at Sedgefield should have helped blow away the cobwebs.
15:30: Southern Access Platforms Handicap Hurdle, 3yo+ rated 0-110, 1m7f207y, £11,450
Birthday Angel will bid to follow up his Fontwell win but a seven-pound rise in the ratings puts him on a career-high mark. Chris Gordon is represented by topweight Goodwin Force, a c/d winner off 95 in May and then a winner at Cartmel off 103. Now rated 112, he too will require a career-best effort. Jockey Tom Cannon has won once and finished second once on two rides taken on him.
However, if the market vibes are favourable, it may pay to side with Jamie and Josh Moore‘s Cayman Dancer. Twice a winner on the all-weather last year, he was gelded before his latest run over hurdles, which may well have been needed as it came off a near-seven-month break. He can be placed to effect, whatever happens today.
16:00: Final Fence Open 30th November Handicap Hurdle, 3yo+ rated 0-110, 2m4f116y, £11,450
Racing for the first time since a breathing operation, the Nick Gifford-trained Low Expectations could go well here. He hasn’t run for 210 days but has shown before that he can run well off a break.
Once again, the market will probably act as a good guide. With this in mind, Calme Olympien will arrive at Plumpton following a good recent run at Chepstow. He was bought from France two years ago and initially won a maiden hurdle for his new connections at Ffos Las. That was a year ago and he had run just three times prior to his latest outing.
If all is well now, he looks certain to run well.
PLUMPTON TIPS
- 13:00 Tom Taggle (2/1)
- 13:30 Le Cold Grey (NAP) (2/1)
- 14:00 Walk In The West (4/1)
- 14:30 Kocktail Bleu – He is now a non-runner
- 15:00 Tommie Beau (9/2)
- 15:30 Cayman Dancer (15/2)
- 16:00 Calme Olympien (NB) (6/1)
