Mondo Man wins the Imperial Cup under Caolin Quinn

Mondo Man set for Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Sun March 15, 2026 · 13h ago

Mondo Man will return to familiar surroundings after connections have identified the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton as his next target.

The Gary and Josh Moore-trained five-year-old had been in contention to try and win the £100,000 bonus put up by Sandown Park for any horse that could win the Betfair Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle and follow up at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, the Mondialiste gelding was denied the opportunity to follow up his win the Premier Handicap last weekend after being balloted out of the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle at the Festival on Friday.

But connections have now regrouped and will aim the 2024 French Derby fifth at the £65,000 contest at the Sussex venue, where he opened his account over hurdles last month, on Easter Sunday.

Josh Moore said: “We were a bit gutted that Mondo Man got balloted out as we were desperate to go there. He came out of the Imperial Cup fantastically well and we will go for the Sussex Champion Hurdle now. It is back at Plumpton, where he won before, and it is good prizemoney so we will have a go at that as long as it is safe ground.

“He has gone around the track and jumped around there, which is important. You have to act around Plumpton. Any horse of his ability can act in a maiden hurdle, but you have still got to go and do it. A lot of horses don’t like Plumpton one bit, whereas we know he goes around there which is another plus.”

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While it took Mondo Man six attempts to get his head in front over hurdles Moore believes he is a different animal now having won each of his last two starts.

He added: “He came with a price tag, but he had only won one race on the all-weather before his win at Plumpton. We ran him at Lingfield in a maiden hurdle first time out this season, but we knew that he needed it as he had been off for a while.

“We hoped he would get away with it, but he was beaten by a good horse of Harry Derham’s [Mossy Fen Road].

“We were disappointed that he didn’t win the big handicap hurdle at Ascot before Christmas as we were confident that day. The County Hurdle winner won it [Wilful] and the Martin Pipe second [Hot Fuss] was second so maybe it wasn’t a bad run, but he didn’t perform to the level we expected him to.

“The win at Plumpton put a lot of confidence into him and I’m a big believer that horses want confidence. It does any horse good to get their head in front. I remember Pat Eddery saying once that you get their head in front once then they will get their head in front a second time as they are a lot happier within themselves.

“It has shown in him as he is a lot different at home since he won at Plumpton, and he is in fantastic order now.”

And looking beyond this season Moore believes that Mondo Man can make the jump from being a top end handicapper to a genuine Graded horse.

He added: “I do think he will be a graded horse over hurdles now we are learning how to ride him. Plumpton was one of those races where you pop out and make the running as you are running against such bad horses. He really enjoyed it and jumped well doing that.

“Caoilin (Quinn) took the bull by the horns and we reaped the rewards from it, but Sandown Park is a good front runners track.

"He is a different animal to the one that chased home Lulamba on his first start for us last season.”

As for stablemate Salver he could be sent to Aintree next month for a tilt at the Grade One Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

The triple Grade Two winner ran a mighty race in defeat at the Festival on Wednesday when staying on to good effect to take third in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

However, both the Grade Two bet365 Oaksey Chase and bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park on the final day of the season at Sandown Park could also be on the agenda for the progressive six-year-old should he not head to Aintree.

Moore added: “We might go to Aintree if we think the ground is okay, but we might go to Sandown Park on the last day of the season. We could possibly go for the bet365 Gold Cup, but there is also the Oaksey Chase as well. That could be a nice race to finish his season in.

“The bet365 Gold Cup is a big pot over three miles and five furlongs, which I think he will get, but it is a case of do we want to do that yet.

“He seems to have come out of Cheltenham fine, but we could quite easily not run him. I’m not saying he can’t run on good ground as he was third in a Grade One the other day, but his performances improve when he is on the bad ground.”

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