The 3.30 at Plumpton is a small-field staying handicap hurdle, but it is not lacking in depth. Even so, this looks a race with a clear centre, and Ferret Jeeter is the one who makes most appeal.
Anthony Honeyball’s nine-year-old comes here after a decisive course-and-distance win last month and that piece of form gives him the edge. He travelled well, jumped soundly and put the race to bed in the style of a horse still ahead of his mark. Off 98, he remains well treated on what he has shown in handicaps, and his overall profile is that of a runner who has not yet hit his ceiling over staying trips.
That matters in this company. A few of these are dependable enough, but most look exposed or come with questions attached. Ferret Jeeter does not. He is now three from four in completed handicap hurdles, has already proved he handles Plumpton, and the booking of Chad Bament with his 7 lb claim only strengthens the case. In a race where proven stamina and smooth jumping will count for plenty, he brings the cleanest profile.
The obvious danger is Inferno Sacree, who is a likeable Plumpton regular and arrives here on the back of a Taunton win. He is a three-time course winner, should be ridden prominently, and in a race where the pace may not be strong that is a definite positive. If this turns tactical, he is the one most likely to make Ferret Jeeter work. The concern is that he looks more exposed and may not have much in hand from his current mark.
Confinentic is respected as well. Chris Gordon does well at Plumpton and the horse shaped better than the bare result at Ascot last time in a stronger race. There is a fair chance he will be suited by the likely race setup, but he still has to prove he truly wants this sort of stamina test as much as the front two.
Of the rest, All Authorized is not impossible, especially as he is a previous course-and-distance winner, but his recent record is patchy and he may need more of a stamina slog than he is likely to get. Disco Davis has the ability to be competitive in this grade, though two recent pull-ups make him hard to trust. Fontana Ellissi has fallen to a workable mark, but there has been too little encouragement of late to make him attractive.
Recent renewals of this race suggest Plumpton form and a workable mark are both worth having, and Ferret Jeeter fits that bill better than anything else in the line-up. He arrives in form, has already shown he can do it over this course and trip, and still looks to have more to offer than his rivals.
This is not a race to overcomplicate. Ferret Jeeter is the percentage call and the most likely winner.
Selection: Ferret Jeeter
Main danger: Inferno Sacree
Best of the rest: Confinentic