News
Monday November 2 2026
Ike Sport centres Mulholland treble in our Monday spectacular
Plumpton's early November card features the Southern Cranes Hurdle, a £55,000 handicap. It's not every week you can start your Monday with such a valuable card. And then a second chance to return to rural Plumpton on Thursday.
Mulholland in rich vein of form
Wiltshire trainer Neil Mulholland has good reason to look forward to his visits to Sussex this autumn, harvesting 4 winners at Fontwell and, after today, 5 at Plumpton, following a treble that included our feature handicap hurdle, the Southern Cranes Handicap, with Ike Sport.
The eight year old made up for a less than sparkling seasonal bow in the valuable Wasdell Group Silver Trophy at Chepstow's season opener, returning to the form that saw him finish second in a Grade III handicap at Aintree's Grand National meeting.
5lb claimer Harry Atkins made every pound count with his mount, who looked sharper than at Chepstow, making up ground from the rear at what would have been two out, that hurdle being omitted, and showing good stamna to ease out Maldini Milano.
Mulholland book-ended the day with further winners in the first and last. Could Be You overcame some less than foot-perfect jumping to win the 3m1f Richard Soan Roofing Services Novices Handicap Chase by a length under Richie McLernon, whilst Conor O'Farrell was on board as Keno Black made light of second top-weight in the concluding 2m 4f handicap hurdle with a 6 1/2l margin.
Longsdon is another to follow presently
Charlie Longsdon's Chipping Norton stable is another to follow just at the moment as Alien Storm produced his fourth winner in as many days.
A season sharpener in a handicap hurdle, again at Chepstow last month, was enough to strip him fitter for this 3m handicap chase sponsored by Kalm Club. That well-being illustrated itself in a comfortable 11l beating of Ile de Jersey and Rickety Bridge under David Bass.
The advent of good or easier ground is bringing more horses out for their seasonal starts. Maiden winners at Wetherby on Friday and Carlisle on Sunday have been followed by a cross-card double today, Alien Storm pairing with Anxious Moments in a novices handicap hurdle at Southwell.
Bold Step is a royal winner
The King and Queen may be enduring barbed comments about slavery under the Caribbean rain, but fairer weather and conditions were present for Bold Step to lose his maiden tag in the middle distance Cappagh Brown Utilities Hurdle.
The six year old is a remmant of Queen Elizabeth's breeding plans, in training with Nicky Henderson, and a ready winner under Nico de Boinville over Anthony Honeyball's Bailly's Comet.
Frustration for Honeyball
Honeyball had something of a case of seconditis as Bailly's Comet was the second of three runner-up berths from four runners at the fixture.
The fourth redeemed the day for the Dorset yard, Walk In the West adding to his winning distance with every yard in the 2m 4f Southern Contract Novices Handicap Chase under Sam Twiston-Davies. The rider gets first pick of the Honeyball runners, and chooses well. The yard's last winners, at Stratford and Hereford last week were both his mounts.
There's a new name on the door at Cisswood Stables with Gary stepping back from frontline Moore duties, or so he says. Fresh from a flat winner over the weekend at Newmarket's closing meeting, brothers Josh and Jamie continued a time-honoured ritual of support for their local racecourse, sending just the one runner to Plumpton.
And one was all it needed to break the new partnership's duck. Cayman Dancer had no difficulty in despatching his five rivals with a 6l margin the 2m handicap hurdle, another race sponsored by Southern Access Platforms, part of the Southern Cranes Group. Freddie Mitchell was the man on board, another step toward losing his claim.
Bonus this week
The good news is that we stage an extra fixture this Thursday to make up for the first fixture lost to firm ground. As it's not planned, admission is just a fiver, so bag the date in your diary.
