Plumpton breaks new ground this weekend with the first Sunday fixture in its 100-year history.

It will celebrate by hosting the £20,000 John Newton Waterproof Membrane Sussex National, the most valuable race ever staged on the one-and-a-quarter-mile circuit under the lea of Ditchling Beacon.

Storrington trainer Richard Rowe plans to win the race for the county with Gran Turismo despite a competitive field.

Although the eight-year-old has not run since winning last May, Rowe insisted he has done plenty of good work and satisfactory schooling and is confident of a good run.

He said: "My jockey, Barry Fenton, has a broken collar bone and Leighton Aspell, who has schooled Gran Turismo, has to ride New Rising in the race, but I am sure I will find a top man who can do the 10st.3lb my horse has been allotted."

Gran Turismo arrived at Rowe's Ashleigh House Stables three years ago after winning a bumper National Hunt flat race in Ireland.

He was bought by one of the long-time patrons of the yard, Dr Alexander, who also owns the good chaser Fraser Island.

The new purchase won over hurdles before scoring in a novice chase at Fontwell at the end of December.

He has since won two handicap chases and, although not a confident jumper in the early stages, he has improved steadily over the obstacles.

Rowe said: "I actually schooled him myself the other day and he seems to do best if allowed to sort himself out going into a fence.

"He doesn't want too much organising."

Asked to compare Gran Turismo with his other useful staying chaser, Montroe, Rowe added: "Montroe did a good deal more over hurdles as a young horse while Gran Turismo was always going to be a chaser.

"Age is on his side as well and I'm sure he will go on improving."

As for the future, the Grand National is a distinct possibility because Gran Turismo would stay the four-and-a-half miles and he is not spectacular over fences.

Rowe said: "You don't need flashy jumpers at Aintree."

The three-mile-five-furlong Sussex National and a three-and-a-quarter-mile Novice Chase for five-year-olds and upwards have been underwritten by new sponsors to horse racing.

Plumpton chief executive Patrick Davis and his team are ready to welcome John Newton and Co, the 150-year-old London-based damp proofing experts.

Davis said: "We hope they and their guests are going to enjoy two of the best races ever run at Plumpton.

Like us they've got plenty of tradition. Their damp proof membranes are in some pretty historic buildings. Westminster Palace, Kensington Palace and the Tate Gallery."

The race is a staging post to the Martell Grand National next spring and, in addition to the substantial prize money, equine artist Charlotte Preston will paint a portrait of the winning horse as a permanent memento for the owner.

The meeting will be themed a family fun day. There will be an opportunity to meet TV's Bob The Builder, who has a race named after him, and free children's entertainment in the Playland Marquee.

A winter barbecue and live music has been arranged for the parents.

There will be a free racecard draw offering a brace of member's badges for next year's Martell Grand National at Aintree and a free shuttle bus service leaving Brighton station one-and-a-half hours before the first race.

Connex South Central has laid on trains from Victoria with a journey time of just 65 minutes.

The two trains arriving before the start of the first race at 12.45pm will pull in at Plumpton at 10.51am and 11.51am. There is a train which arrives six minutes after the start of the first race.

Earth Summit, winner in 1998 of the Martell Grand National, will lead the parade of runners.

The horse was trained in the Cotswolds by Nigel Triston-Davies and ridden in most of his races, including Aintree, by Carl Llewellyn.

EAU de Cologne finished only ninth of the 14 runners at the Thomas Pink Gold Cup at Cheltenham in a hard race.

Much as Sussex trainer Lydia Richards feared, the weights went up and her good chaser found himself top of the handicap with 12 stone, conceding pounds to horses as good or better than himself.

Richards said: "They were always going a stride too quick for him.

"Although Jimmy McCarthy got him into the race half-a-mile out, he had to use him up to get to the leaders."

It was no consolation that Eau de Cologne reversed the recent Wincanton running with Celibate who just beat him three weeks ago.

Eau de Cologne will be aimed at a less competitive race at Chepstow in December.

Richards' veteran flat performer, Brilliant Red, is due to run at Lingfield tomorrow in the one-and-a-quarter-mile Churchill Stakes before he takes a well-deserved holiday.