William Funnell launched what he hopes will be a record-equalling weekend at Hickstead with an impressive victory.

Funnell goes for a fourth Derby triumph on Cortaflex Mondriaan on Sunday, having won three out of the last four at the Sussex arena.

He would love nothing more than to match Eddie Macken’s record of four victories with the same horse, the legendary Boomerang.

The 44-year-old from Dorking warmed up for the challenge by taking the Bunn Leisure Derby Tankard on Billy Congo, a horse who he believes could be even better than Mondriaan.

Billy Congo will not be one of Funnell’s two rides in the Derby but he goes in the Derby Trial today and there are high hopes for him.

Funnell said: “I haven’t planned to jump Billy Congo in the Derby. The same as with Mondriaan, I think that is something I will do later on with him.

“Mondriann is not going to go on forever so it will be nice to have another one coming along.

“I did the Lisbon Nations Cup with him and he jumped four and four, he was second in the Grand Prix in Vimeiro and fourth in the one at Hardelot in France three weeks before that. He has very good Grand Prix form now.

“I think he is probably the best horse I have ever had. He has got a long way to go to be a better Derby horse than Mondriaan but I just think he can do a lot of things. I can win with him, he is careful and I haven’t felt he’s had to try yet. Talk is cheap, though, he has to do it now.”