By Peter Moore at Plumpton 18th November
Olly Murphy brought up his 50th winner of the season when Vocito took the 2m 1f handicap chase at The Racehorse Sanctuary Raceday at Plumpton on Monday afternoon.
Under Kevin Brogan and carrying 12 stone, the six-year-old picked up his first win over fences with a fluent display of jumping to put 11 lengths between him and second place Koenigsstern.
In form claimer Lewis Saunders made it 5 winners from his last six rides after getting Magical Arthur up on the line by a nose from Chancellorstown in the finale on the card for Jennie Candish, who brought up a double on the card with Matchless in the second race of the day.
Irish jockey Darragh O’Keeffe was having his first ever ride at Plumpton aboard the 2-7 odds on shot Matchless in the 2m seller.
At one point it was looking fairly comfortable for the gelding, but approaching the straight he came under pressure and was joined in front by Tara Iti and Kulcummin.
With three horses in line approaching the final hurdle it looked anybodys race.
Somehow Matchless found a turn of foot to start to pull ahead.
Kilcummin fell at the last which left Matchless clear to pull away from Tara Iti to grind out a win by four and a half lengths.
The horse was bought by the trainer at auction after the race for 4200.00.
Menaggio made it two out of two at Plumpton after winning the 2m 3 and a half furlong Class 3 novices limited handicap chase.
Having won at the course 28 days ago on his fence debut, he followed up under Tom Cannon to win cosily by 11 lengths.
Smugglers Haven made every yard of the running to take the amateur jockeys handicap hurdle by nine and a half lengths with Lily Bradstock aboard for her mother Sara.
The five-year-old came into the race on the back of her handicap debut win at Hereford last month and never looked likely to get beaten having dictated the pace from the start.
The easiest winner of the afternoon was Sign Again in the opener who bolted home to put 19 lengths between himself and second placed Roman Roy, with Lilly Pinchin in the saddle.