Plumpton, Tuesday 26 May 2026: Tips & Analysis

Plumpton, Tuesday 26 May 2026: Tips & Analysis

A seven-race card at Plumpton on a sunny day with good ground underfoot. Small fields throughout but plenty of intrigue, with several trainer angles worth leaning into. Good ground at Plumpton tends to sort things out quickly, favouring horses with clean jumping and a forward-going style. The Premier League Darts final lands at the O2 on Thursday, the T20 Blast fires up on Wednesday, but tonight this is where the value is. Let’s get into it.

6:09 — Conditional Jockeys’ Training Series Handicap Hurdle (2m4f, Good)

Selection: Diplomatic Ash at 4/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

Goodwin is the obvious one here. A record at this course reading 2111 is hard to ignore and he won over course and distance last month. But the Spotlight raises a legitimate concern about his attitude, and Chris Gordon’s yard has drawn a blank in five starts over the last fortnight. That’s not the profile of a yard in peak form.

Rob Hargreaves claims 6lb and posts a 22% strike rate at Plumpton with an A/E of 1.42, the strongest number among the jockeys tracked here. That figure tells you he finds winners at this track at a rate that outstrips his market prices. Diplomatic Ash, trained by Gary and Josh Moore, drops back to hurdling off a mark that reflects two below-par chase runs in March. He’s a dual chase winner with placed form over hurdles, and the return to timber on good ground suits his profile. The Moore yard has been quiet of late, but that’s in the price at 4/1 for a horse who looks underestimated.

Motazzen is interesting after that Fontwell demolition job but the 8lb rise clearly found him out on his return, and “hard to know what to expect” is not the footing you want when picking a winner. Diplomatic Ash is the value call.

6:39 — Kalm Club @ Grange Festival Handicap Chase (2m1f, Good)

Selection: Frere d’Armes at 2/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

This one is tight and the form of Frere d’Armes demands honesty before recommending him. A sequence of 4PUP4 is not encouraging reading. But the context matters. Dan Skelton has gone 10 from 26 in the last 14 days, a barn firing at near-40%. Harry Skelton posts a 20% strike rate at Plumpton and the combination of this yard, this jockey, and a horse dropped back into handicap company off a potentially workable mark is a profile that has paid off at this track before.

Seeyouinmydreams is intriguing on chase debut after being bought for £26k following a wide-margin Hexham win, but chase debut in a competitive heat carries risk. Captain Cool landed a narrow success at Stratford nine days ago and now shoulders a 7lb penalty, which is a stiff ask at 6yo against a mare already proven over fences. Frere d’Armes represents the Skelton stable’s hand and at 2/1, there’s a genuine case he bounces back once handicap conditions return.

7:09 — Kalm Club @ Plumpton Handicap Chase (2m4f, Good)

Selection: I Shut That d’Or at 3/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred)

Joe Tizzard has a 23% win rate at Plumpton with an A/E of 1.12, which is the most important number on the trainer stat sheet for this meeting. An A/E above 1.0 means punters who back his Plumpton runners consistently profit. He also goes 3 from 9 in the last 14 days, so the yard is in business.

I Shut That d’Or posted three wins over fences in the 2024-25 winter campaign at around this trip, and the revival at Fontwell three weeks ago, where he ran third with Begin The Luck in second, showed the engine is still running. Crucially, that form reverses here because Begin The Luck finished ahead of him at Fontwell. The Spotlight notes Begin The Luck was second there and I Shut That d’Or was third, so they meet again with the handler whose yard is statistically outperforming at this course.

Cher Monsieur showed clear promise on chase debut and is likely to go well, but 13/8 for a horse who’s 1 from 9 over hurdles and untested beyond 3m over fences is short enough. Begin The Luck is a consistent sort and three wins since December earns respect, but the Tizzard angle and the course stats make I Shut That d’Or the call at 3/1.

Today’s NAP

I Shut That d’Or — Kalm Club @ Plumpton Handicap Chase (19:09, Plumpton)
Odds: 3/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 3/1 Betfred, 11/4 LiveScore Bet)

Joe Tizzard’s 23% win rate at Plumpton with an A/E of 1.12 is the standout trainer stat on the card, and he goes into this meeting in form. I Shut That d’Or is back on a winnable mark after three chase wins at this trip earlier in the season, and his Fontwell return showed genuine revival. The 3/1 available with Boyle Sports and Betfred gives you proper value on a horse that suits today’s conditions and carries yard confidence behind him.