Plumpton’s third race day of the new National Hunt season gets underway on Monday, writes Charlie Day.

The Southern Cranes Race Day is set to be packed full of equine talent and action.

Prior to racing there is set to be an expert panel who will be previewing the upcoming jumps season, giving the public informative pointers, tips and horses to follow.

After the preview, the racing will begin on track and it looks set to be highly competitive with over £100k worth of prize money on offer across the seven-race card.

It is therefore no surprise to see a whopping amount of entries, with over 140 in total.

The first race is a 2m mares’ maiden hurdle, this will be followed by a 2m3½f novices’ handicap chase then a novices’ hurdle over 2m4½f.

The feature race is the fourth on the card and is a handicap hurdle also over 2m4½f.

Next comes a 3m1½f handicap chase. The penultimate contest is a 2m handicap hurdle and the last race is another handicap hurdle over 2m4½f.

With so many entries it will surely not be easy for the big stables to dominate.

However, that being said, Nicky Henderson’s Easy Peasy, who’s been entered in the opener, will hold strong claims if taking to the obstacles.

The four-year-old Walk In The Park filly was last seen 43 days ago at Plumpton, taking a 2m1½f bumper by an emphatic 4½ lengths and that was on her British debut.

As ever there will be no shortage of local representation at the track. Jim and Suzi Best, Cynthia Woods, Andy Irvine and Sheena West hold a combined ten entries between themselves.

With all the rain that we’ve been having throughout the country recently, soft is likely to be in the ground description for Monday’s meeting and that could play right into the hands of some trainers.

It should suit the likes of Venetia Williams, whose horses are noted for generally liking some give underfoot.

She has entered just the one horse on the card but that’s in the feature race, in the shape of Burrow’s Park.

If she were to make the trip down with that horse it would be something to definitely take notice of, especially considering that her training base is approximately 200 miles away from Plumpton in Aramstone, Herefordshire.

There are a total of 18 entries for the feature. Milton Harris has two entries, Shallow River, who has finished second on his last two starts and also Pyramid Place, who will be looking to follow up his impressive success in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow. Paul Nicholl’s Sonigino will be looking to gain revenge on that rival after finishing third to him in that race. Dan Skelton’s Boombawn is another to note in what looks an exciting contest. In the last race, watch out for Andy Irvine’s Godot who was an improving hurdler at the back end of last season, winning his last two starts with the first of those wins coming over course and distance.

A fantastic day of racing looks to be in store at Plumpton. With a meeting that is sure to whet the appetite for the upcoming jumps season, for both racing enthusiasts and the general public as a whole.