Johnson to land Big with King’s Meadow
There are many bends to be negotiated in this afternoon’s Sussex National at Plumpton, and Richard Johnson always rides them well. The champion jockey is booked for Neil King’s Big Meadow for the three-and-ahalf-mile slog round the tight, twisty track.
A few of the runners look a bit high in the handicap, but King’s runner is back to 116, the same mark he won off a year ago. He unseated at the first at Exeter on New Year’s Day – after just one run back from a break – so he’ll be fresh and ready. Brandon Castle had a few of today’s rivals behind him when making a winning hurdle debut at Plumpton three weeks ago.
He only won by halfa-length from Collooney, but that rival had won and been second in bumpers, and the rest were nowhere.
The selection was a class act on the flat, rattling up a hat-trick in the autumn of 2017 and winning off 95 last March.
First Quest’s defeat of Vive Le Roi, at Uttoxeter in July, makes him of interest in the closing handicap hurdle.
The runner-up then has won three times and been second twice since for Tony Carroll, and is now rated 137.
Big Meadow (Plumpton 2.40).
Brandon Castle (Plumpton 12.40).
First Quest (Plumpton 3.40). Sir Mark Prescott has his first runners of the year at Newcastle, and Isle Of Avalon has only been raised 3lb for a Wolverhampton win on Boxing Day.
Isle Of Avalon (Newcastle 2.0)