It’s Sussex National time as Plumpton hosts biggest day in calendar

Eleven runners are set to tackle the 3m 4½f course with the race set for the off at 2.47 and £18,484 going to connections of the first horse past the winning post having jumped the 20 fences.

The card at Plumpton has been handed premier status by the BHA in the revamped racing calendar and will be the first premier fixture to be held on a Sunday, with the Sussex National prize pot having been boosted by £5,000 compared to 12 months ago.

The card also includes a new race - a Stayers Handicap Hurdle, which is worth £75,000. But the title event of the day is the Sussex National and after declarations on Friday morning, the field is set.

Leading the way is Southern National winner Tommie Beau, also the highest rated horse in the race and running off top weight, who won the Fontwell showpiece race on November 19 for trainer Seamus Mullins and looks to be the one to beat in the National.

Trainer Joe Tizzard - who won the 2023 edition of this race with Atakan - sends Rose Of Arcadia up in distance for the first time having performed solidly since making the switch to fences from hurdles, but this will be just his third start over the bigger obstacles. Tizzard has plonked 5lb claiming jockey Freddie Gingell on board in an interesting move.

Special Acceptance is running off bottom weight for trainer Paul Webber and arrives in perhaps the best form out of all runners here, with a second over course and distance last time out and also scoring second place on his run before that at Huntingdon. Gavin Sheehan gets the mount on the 11-year-old gelding.

Preview compiled by Racing TV.

Iceo Madrik, a French import for trainer David Pipe, is back over the bigger jumps on Sunday having run at the Cheltenham Festival in the Ultima but not setting the world on fire since, pulled up at Haydock and a disappointing ninth at Newbury last time out.

Dom Of Mary, with 3lb claimer Caoilin Quinn on board for trainer David Bridgwater, could figure prominently too having plugged on well for sixth in a Cheltenham handicap at the November meeting on soft ground

Foxboro is a potentially interesting runner for trainer Robert Walford, who has put a 3lb claiming jockey on board in the form of Harry Kimber. Foxboro was a winner at Exeter in a staying handicap on Haldon Gold Cup day and was a comfortable winner at that so could be well in the frame here having not been penalised for that success by the handicapper.

Sussex National 1-2-3 (via horse racing odds)

1 Foxboro

2 Tommie Beau

3 Dom Of Mary

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