By Peter Moore at Plumpton Monday 10th March 2025
Champion trainer Willie Mullins was looking for the perfect start to the week by sending over a runner for the very first time complete with his rider and son Patrick who was also making his first visit to the Sussex track.
1-8 favourite More Coko was looking to make it four wins in a row, but a bad mistake which Patrick Mullins did well to stay on board and another bad error knocked the stuffing out of the horse with the Gary & Josh Moore trained Old Cowboy receiving 12lb from the favourite to pull well ahead and win cosily by 20 lengths under Nial Houlihan.
Old Cowboy, who was winning for the first time in his career, sparked a treble for the local trainer after Lumi Plugin broke his maiden tag at the ninth time of asking with Rob Hargreaves in the plate, to get the better of Smugglers Haven by 2 ¾ lengths.
Havaila can be a very quirky character who races freely. Today Gary Moore decided to put a hood on the six-year-old which proved successful after taking the 3m 1 ½ f handicap chase.
An improved round of jumping including taking on the fences with some very high jumps was enough to win comfortably by 21 lengths.
It was also a special Monday for jockey Houlihan who picked up an 87-1 treble with the Irishman scoring on La Dolce Dolly and Havaila.
La Dolce Dolly was a welcome winner for local trainer Andy Irvine who has been going through a barren spell of late. Having to wait just shy of three months for his next winner of the season,
The six-year-old moved up in trip with the 3m 1f suiting the mare who got up on the line to get the better of Despereaux by ¾ length.
Top weight Taxus Baccata was a comfortable 10 length winner in the 2m 3fnovices handicap chase on her debut handicap run and first run over fences.
In form jockey Ben Jones bagged another winner after partnering Lady Caro to victory for the successful yard of Emma Lavelle in the 2m novices handicap hurdle.
Despite the mare hitting the goalposts recently, she finally broke her maiden tag at the 13th time of asking.