Jamie Poulton has enjoyed the greatest day of his racing life.

Sussex horsemen and women have enjoyed enormous success in the past fortnight. But no story is greater than that of Male Ana Mou who gave the 34-year-old Lewes trainer his biggest success at Fontwell last Monday.

The outsider of four in the two-and-a-half-mile £20,000 BonusPrint National Spirit Hurdle, the richest race ever run on the track, Male Ana Mou won easily by ten lengths.

It was sad that the favourite Katarino struck into himself and finished lame.But nothing can detract from the winner's performance in the hands of Andrew Thornton.

Poulton said: "The Press said before the race that there was just the one bad horse among the four starters. I wonder who they were referring to! I would have settled for finishing second to Katarino before the race, but we were thrilled to win. The six-strong syndicate of owners from Dorset were all there and so was my wife Camilla and three-month-old Alexander. It was the greatest day of my racing life."

Male Ana Mou has come out of the race in great shape and will not run again before the two-and-a-half-mile Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. If he can finish in the first three he will win a £20,000 bonus to be split between owner, trainer, jockey and stable staff.

Winner of three races on the flat last season when trained by David Elsworth, Male Ana Mou will revert to flat racing after Cheltenham. Jamie will also run Galapino at Cheltenham and will compete at Plumpton on Monday if the ground is not soft.

If the going at Plumpton comes up testing, Poulton's One In The Eye would run instead and be hard to beat on going he loves. Jamie won on the flat at Lingfield on Wednesday with Sammy's Shuffle. He is on a roll which he hopes will last through Cheltenham.

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