Double successes at Southwell jumps meeting

On a chilly autumnal afternoon in rural Nottinghamshire, there was a good seven race jumps card in which the feature race in terms of potentially smart horses for the future was a “National Hunt” Novice hurdle over two miles, and it went the way of Some Plan for, Brennan and Tom George.

Brennan set his stall out from an early stage but was challenged strongly in the home straight by the well backed favourite King’s Odyssey.

With the jump at the final flight becoming all important, it was Some Plan who jumped it best and exploited the short run-in to score by two lengths, pulling 26 lengths clear of the rest.

Some Plan is a fine stamp of a horse and looks sure to get even better with experience and fences in time.

Brennan doubled up when Definitely Better hosed up in the concluding handicap hurdle, once again for trainer Tom George.

Wiltshire trainer Blake hadn’t had a winner over jumps for around nine months prior to bringing his two runners to Southwell on Monday, but that all changed as both of his runners won leaving the trainer and winning owners Val and Bob Butcher absolutely delighted.

Typical Oscar was their first winner, beating off recent course winner Head Spin in a good dual up the home straight under Tom Scudamore, before Lamps took the claiming hurdle, this time ridden by Nick Scholfield.

Tom Scudamore had earlier ridden the opening winner on the card, No Through Road for his brother Michael, with this horse now recording his fourth win in a row, only three days after his previous win at Hexham.

Victor Dartnall made the long trip up from his base in Devon worthwhile as his likeable mare Jewellery continued her fantastic run of recent form with her fourth win in seven starts since rejoining Dartnall back in the summer.

Finally, Monbeg Theatre went one better than the last jumps meeting here in the hands of the very promising young rider Gavin Sheehan.

Monbeg Theatre enjoyed the step up to two and a half miles and looks an exciting prospect for the ever improving Jamie Snowden stable.

The next meeting at Southwell is tomorrow (Thursday) with the second all-weather championships fixture of the winter. For more information, visit www.southwell-racecourse.co.uk.