Sad Mad Bad is a curious name for a racehorse but it did not prevent the seven-year-old from winning Plumpton's most valuable race.

The horse beat luckless Atavistic, who was never out of the first two, by one length to win the £13,340 winner's prize in the John Newton Waterproof Membrane Sussex National.

Atavistic has now been runner-up in four of his last six races, but Sad Mad Bad was winning his tenth race in the maroon and pale blue colours of Plumpton chairman Peter Savill.

The winner is trained at Saltburn, north Yorkshire, by Mary Reveley and acquired his name as a yearling when the epithet was flung at Savill for declining to run his brilliant colt Celtic Swing in the Epsom Derby six years ago.

Celtic Swing had won the Group One Racing Post Trophy the previous autumn and was the highest rated two-year-old but Savill and trainer Lady Herries felt the colt would not be suited by the track at Epsom.

A Racing Post writer accused Savill of being sad, mad and bad, but the owner had the last laugh when a week later Celtic Swing won the French Derby at Chantille.

But Savill probably made the right decision because Celtic Swing was, in retrospect, not as good a colt as eventual Epsom Derby winner Lamtarra, who went on to take the King George V and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.

Lewes trainer Sheena West was satisfied with the performance of Its Wallace, jumping over fences for the first time, in the National. Although the eight-year-old was pulled up past halfway in the three-mile-five-furlong event, he had jumped 14 of the fences in the style of an experienced horse.

By running him against handicappers, the hazards of a Novice Chase were avoided and now Its Wallace is being prepared for a three-mile chase at Lingfield on December 15. With meetings at Cheltenham, Doncaster and Haydock as well, the opposition could turn out to be weak.

Wet weather could not dampen the spirits of the 3,000 who paid their entrance money at Plumpton's first ever Sunday fixture.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy obliged favourite backers with a double on a pair of novice chasers.

Garruth and Hit and Run looked above average and, even if they make normal progress, could be in the running for a £25,000 bonus by scoring at the National Hunt meeting at Cheltenham in March.

The bonus is available to any Plumpton Novice Chase winner this season who goes on to win at the Festival next year.

There is a further Novice Chase on the course next Wednesday when Countryside Day will be celebrated.

Among the attractions will be an opportunity to meet the British Olympic showjumping rider Nick Skelton, who will signs copies of his new book, and a draw to win a pair of tickets for the December 19 evening session at Olympia Showjumping Championships.

First race is at 12.40pm and the usual free bus service operates from Brighton station at 11.10am, giving passengers plenty of time to make their first race bets.

SHEENA West scored her first success under National Hunt rules when Glenwhargen won the Novices Selling Hurdle at Towcester.

Sheena, whose first runner on the flat as a permit holder won at Lingfield last year, was granted her full licence to train in June.

The trainer of Its Wallace and Tis Gromit has five jumpers and Glenwhargen, claimed out of Mark Johnston's Yorkshire stable 18 months ago, has been plagued with problems.

Sheena said: "She's very brave because she has a tendency to arthritis as well as breathing difficulties.

"Glenwhargen found two-and-three-quarters of a mile at Folkestone a fortnight ago just too much and the two miles this time seems to be ideal for her."

Sheena saddles Its Pingu over hurdles for the first time at Plumpton on Wednesday. She said: "He ran in a bumper at Ascot and has schooled well so I am hopeful for a good run."