Plumpton result: 22/1 shot Ike Sport defies top weight as Bold Step scores for The King

Ike Sport caused a 22/1 shock in the feature Southern Cranes Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton on Monday. Carrying top weight of 12st, the eight-year-old fought off three challengers in the home straight under Harry Atkins to win the 2.30pm by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Paul Nicholls’ Maldini Milano chased him home at 100/30, with Sam Thomas’ Range half a length away in third at 14/1. Harry Fry’s Walk On High was still in the thick of the battle when he made a bad mistake at the second-last. The defending champion could only finish fourth, another three-quarters of a length back. Let Him B, the Irish challenger and 5/2 favourite, was a disappointing seventh of the 12 runners.

Ike Sport back on track after Chepstow blip

Ike Sport’s big price was easy enough to understand after he was pulled up at 40/1 in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow last month, but he had shown plenty of ability last season. He was second at 14/1 in the Premier Handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April, beaten just a length-and-a-quarter, and he won over the same course in May.

It was a second winner of the day for Neil Mulholland, whose Could Be You had made all under Richie McLernon to land the 1pm novices’ handicap chase at 3/1.

Bold Step off the mark in The King’s colours

Earlier on the card, Bold Step got off the mark in the 1.30pm maiden hurdle for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville, carrying the famous colours of HM The King and HM The Queen.

The six-year-old had finished second in his previous two starts, in a bumper at Exeter and a novices’ hurdle at Hexham. Sent off at 13/8, he readily beat Anthony Honeyball’s 5/4 favourite Bailly’s Comet by two-and-three-quarter lengths for a royal winner on the card. Nicholls’ Le Cold Grey was another length-and-a-half back in third.

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