French star Master Dino set for Plumpton assignment with JLT aim

Racegoers at Plumpton on Sunday are set for an extra treat with Master Dino, France's champion four-year-old hurdler last year, set for his second start over fences in the 2m3½f novice chase at the Sussex National meeting.

The JLT Novices’ Chase is a potential target for the prolific five-year-old, owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, with this weekend’s assignment offering a £60,000 bonus to the winner if striking at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The Guillaume Macaire-trained son of Doctor Dino landed his second Grade 1 prize in the Prix Renaud du Vivier at Auteuil in November and made a winning chase debut at the same track later that month.

Master Dino, a winner of his last five starts, is a best price 16-1 with bet365 to land the JLT Novices’ Chase, in which the owners sealed the runner-up spot with Terrefort last season.

1.10 Plumpton entries

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to Munir and Souede, said: "The plan is to run him at Plumpton on Sunday and Daryl Jacob will take the ride.

"It will be interesting to see how he gets on over English fences and we wanted to come over and see how he adapts to it.

"If things went well, we’d be looking at the JLT Novices’ Chase.”

Gordon Elliott could be represented in the Plumpton contest with last year’s Pertemps Final second Glenloe – with Barry Geraghty booked to ride – while Diakali, Knocknanuss, Spiritofthegames and Slate House are among other notable names in the 12 entries for the £13,100 event.

Glenloe (left): another high-profile entry in the novice chase at Plumpton on SundayCredit: Patrick McCann

Bromley added: "Master Dino is the champion four-year-old hurdler in France so has a lot of class and he won well on his chasing debut at the end of the season at Auteuil. He’s fit and well and it was Guillaume’s idea to bring him over.

"The added attraction with Plumpton is the Cheltenham Festival bonus so if things went really well that would be lovely, but we’ve got to get through the first stage.

"The ground was more good to soft than soft at Auteuil for large parts of the summer and autumn so we wouldn’t be worried about the ground over here for him. He loves testing conditions but he goes on most ground.

"He’s been on the go a long time – that would be the only thing – but the whole occasion of travelling over and tackling a sharper course at Plumpton will be new to him."

Members can read the latest exclusive interviews, news analysis and comment available from 6pm daily on racingpost.com