Local jockey and stalwart of the weighing room Phillip Hide reminded a crowd of around 6,000 race goers on Sunday afternoon that when he is booked to ride at Plumpton everybody should take particular note.

His two victories were attained in contrasting styles although each clearly defined the understanding that his long experience of riding this idiosyncratic track has afforded him and the skilled, deft touch he can apply to reap the benefit of that hard earned knowledge.

This was no more apparent than on his first win aboard the Brendan Powell trained Morestead.

The front running tactics applied by Hide were not new to this four year old gelding but at crucial points of the race the jockey seemed to take valuable ground out of his rivals.

This was most notable as they turned into the back straight for the final time when without any particular vigour apparent from Hide the course commentator, crowd and finally his rival jockeys all suddenly realised he had slipped fifteen lengths clear with only four left to jump.

From there on in his rivals were fighting a losing battle and despite Morestead being extremely tired at the finish none of them were at any stage near enough to challenge him.

Hide followed that up with a win for the leading course trainer Gary Moore.
Jafaru was his only runner of the day in the selling handicap and the gelding was brought through the field and produced at the top of the straight to challenge before coming home to win in what appeared quite a comfortable manner.

Sandwiched between these wins for Hide was another double, this time for trainer Evan Williams and his pilot Paul Moloney.

A regularly successful visitor to Sussex, Williams found a suitable opportunity for his novice hurdler Agente Romano and the four year old justified strong market support to wear down the Irish raider Capall Eile on the run in.

The latter named had made a bold bid under Paddy Brennan and stuck resolutely to his task when challenged a fact which pleased his travelling Gaelic connections who said that if all was well with the horse they may go to Fontwell on Thursday for a beginners chase.

Decent ground is apparently an imperative for Capall Eile and that was the reason connections decided to bring him over.

Lets hope we see them again as it adds something to the flavour of the racing.

The Williams/Moloney double was completed by Tiger O’Toole who also came through on the run in to win.

He was undoubtedly the pick of the paddock prior to his contest which will have rewarded all those who place great store in such things but those same paddock watchers will probably not have been quite so pleased after the opening race when Key Regard was only third home.

He was presented in absolutely outstanding condition by the Charlie Mann team and after his operations for wind and gelding he looked primed to run his race.

However, he was once again outpaced at a crucial moment in the contest and though he stayed on resolutely he never looked like rewarding the strong support in the market that he had received throughout the day.

Two fillies contested the finish and from the top of the straight onwards it always appeared that the newcomer Evening Sunset was going to prevail and that she did despite a valiant effort from the penalised True Britannia.

A winner on the flat the Mick Quinlan trained winner looked very well suited by the quick ground.

Mrs Tregawney Hill was out of luck with Milesian King but went one better later on the card when Shammy Buskins came home in front.

Neither horse looked particularly at home on the course and neither jumped with anything like the same fluency as when victorious on their previous starts.

However, Shammy Buskins overcame all of that to record another win for the Hill team who are in such remarkable form at present.

Nigel Twiston Davies is not a regular visitor to Plumpton but maybe we will see a few more of his runners after the success of Tayman in the two mile five handicap hurdle.

This was his first run for the stable and he looked to benefit from the quick ground.

The final race of the day produced some controversy when the Evan Williams trained Tayarat passed the post in front but was subsequently demoted to second having been adjudged to have interfered with the short priced favourite Rockys Choice at the final flight.

The decision was a little surprising and I would sympathise with the connections of Tayarat to some degree.

If there is an upside, it will have pleased many of the bumper crowd who were on the 11/10 favourite in the getting out stakes and ruined a few bookies days which is as we know never a bad thing.