Plumpton pray for rain after racecard is decimated by Good going

Plumpton Racecourse will be praying for rain after seeing their field of runners decimated by the recent dry spell.

Just 24 horses will compete over six races on Monday’s card – four in each – and one of the contests, which had just three runners, has been cancelled.

A recent dry spell has left the going no heavier than Good and that has deterred some potential entrants.

There will be no each-way betting in the six races which survive.

Exeter has suffered a similar problem.

Plumpton is located in an area just north of the South Downs, where the ground holds the water like a sponge.

But that has not been the case in recent weeks.

Plumpton hope for better conditions for their next meeting in a fortnight.

Clerk of the course Marcus Waters told the Racing Post: "We are starting to run out of horses for the racing we've got.

“We are grateful for the runners we do have."

"We are due a bit of rain on Monday and it looks a cold week then in the week after there are strong signals of rain.

“We should have a fair bit ahead of our next meeting on December 2."

Of the runners who have not been deterred, Press Association tipsters believe Alan King’s Menaggio can continue the solid start he has made to his chasing career in the Southern Cranes & Access Ltd Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

After a decent hurdling phase, the five-year-old made his first start over fences around this course and distance in October and secured an impressive victory to earmark himself as a chasing prospect to keep an eye on.

On the same card, Jennie Candlish’s Matchless appeals in the weatherbysshop.co.uk Selling Hurdle.

The gelding started to hit his stride in two hurdles runs in September and looks well placed to get the better of this field under Darragh O’Keeffe.

Highway One O Five can score for Chris Gordon in the Royal Yeomanry Association Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle during the same fixture.

The five-year-old has generally fared well at the track so far and was third over course and distance last time out, when not beaten far despite a mistake that likely cost him a better placing.

Returning at a marginally lower grade, he will this time face only three rivals and has a capable rider in the saddle in Gina Andrews as he bids to get his head in front for the first time in his career.