Sussex National day: Stage Star impresses as Harry Cobden rides Plumpton treble and Atakan wins feature for Joe Tizzard
Stage Star, Twinjets and El Muchacho complete treble at Plumpton for jockey Harry Cobden and a double for trainer Milton Harris; Atakan beats Blame The Game in thrilling finish to Sussex National for Joe Tizzard
Monday 2 January 2023 17:19, UK
Stage Star was the highlight of a treble for Harry Cobden at Plumpton on Monday, as Paul Nicholls' charge got his novice chasing career back on track with a bloodless victory.
A Grade One winner over hurdles, the seven-year-old made a bright start to life over the larger obstacles at Warwick, but was then bitterly disappointing when sent off odds-on for a Grade Two at Newbury in November.
Dropped into calmer waters for the Phone Betting At Goodwin Racing 08000 421 321 Novices' Chase, the Ditcheat inmate had just the Fergal O'Brien-trained Mortlach to beat and did so with ease, producing a fine round of jumping in the hands of Harry Cobden to oblige favourite-backers at 1/9.
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"I was very pleased with that," Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing. "I don't think he was right for whatever reason at Newbury the last day, he hung and the ground was fast enough for him.
"Today he looked better beforehand, and he went round there with a spring in his step, jumped well and looks to be back on form.
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"He has to go left-handed and there's quite a valuable novice chase at Warwick in two weeks' time and there is a very valuable race at Lingfield in three weeks' time, so it would be one of those I expect next.
"He will definitely have entries at Cheltenham in both the two and a half (Turners) and over three (Brown Advisory). If we get him right we'll definitely go for one of them."
Cobden added to his tally when he steered Milton Harris' Twinjets (1/3 favourite) to a nine-length victory in the Free Bet Nose Losers At Betgoodwin EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle.
It was the six-year-old's fourth victory in five starts under rules and the Sutton Veny handler is eyeing a trip to Sandown on March 11.
"To be fair to him he's only been beat once and he came back wrong that day," said Harris of the winner. "Turning in I thought 'this could be a race' but he's ended up winning nine lengths so he's a fair horse.
"He's just a bit immature - he jumps a bit left then will go a bit right - but he will definitely be all right. How far we go with him? I don't know. Of course life gets a bit difficult now with a double penalty. But he could go for something like the EBF Final at Sandown where he might get his ground and he'll get the trip.
"He needs another run and he needs another run without being too silly. You'd like to get in there off 120-something wouldn't you, but he's better than that you would think."
Harris and Cobden combined again to round off the day in style when El Muchacho (7/2) landed the concluding Zoe Davison Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
Joe Tizzard's Atakan (11/4) ground down the tough 5-2 favourite Blame The Game in the shadow of the post to edge the feature BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase in the hands of Brendan Powell.
"We've always quite liked him and his first-ever time on the track at Carlisle he finished sixth," said Powell. "I don't think he'd seen much grass before and he gave me a feel he would make a nice staying chaser and I quietly fancied him today, I thought we'd be placed definitely.
"For a horse that is only having his third run over fences his jumping is good. He made all when he won round here in a novice chase, but I didn't want to commit him too soon and it worked out quite well as I had some company and something to aim at turning in. I thought I would keep waiting on him and thankfully it worked.
"They are fit and you know they will keep going but he's a horse I just wanted to have one go at today, especially in a race like this, and I didn't really want to chuck the race away by taking it up too soon."
There was also an impressive win on the card for Gary Moore's Hansard (5/2), who gave 7lb and a two-length beating to 4/7 favourite Master Chewy in the Download The BetGoodwin App Novices' Hurdle.
"The second horse is rated 126 and we've given it 7lb," said winning rider Jamie Moore. "My lad has actually pulled up over the last two, I know I haven't won by a mile but he wasn't doing an awful lot in front. He travels round good, he's by The Gurkha so he has got a pit of poke. I think he'll be a nice horse.
"He won on good ground at Huntingdon and Huntingdon has been quick all year. We were worried at Huntingdon that it would be too quick and we were worried today it would be too slow.
"He's very tough and hardy. He ran in four bumpers in four months in Ireland for Charles O'Brien and won his final one of them, so he could be progressing. He's a nice horse."
