Plumpton or Dubai at Easter? No contest really

Boy was my report on Plumpton's Easter meeting going to be incisive, funny, informative and generally just brilliant. The jottings I had made in my reporter's notebook were spot on. Sadly between the 6th race and the last I lost my homework, which I am sure had nothing to do at all with the consumption of 2 pints of Hepworth Blonde in short succession a few minutes earlier.
This post is therefore from memories, albeit happy ones despite the traditional Plumpton weather. 

The Brighton Station coach service to the course was busier than usual, 10 customers, including a family of four complete with toddlers getting their first introduction to racing. The Tote lady with the shopping bag on wheels greeted me as a long lost friend, but the man who told me last time how much he had lumped on The New One for the Champion Hurdle was sadly absent. I am sure he would have welcomed me doing a 'I told you so' by reminding him that I had considered Nigel Twiston-Davies' horse was 'in decline.' 
Obviously I had considered going to Dubai for the world's richest race, but Plumpton in late March can be nice. The weather God had smiled on Lingfield for its Good Friday All-Weather Championships, which annoyed me a little bit as I am still a tad uncomfortable about gambling on the holiest day. For reasons I cannot entirely explain I am however ok with racing on Easter Sunday, although judging by the hail, rain and wind which greeted the first race this was a verdict the Almighty did not agree with.
Highlights of the meeting were the Sussex Champion Hurdle and the (rescheduled) At The Races Sussex National. The return to winter going meant there were (sadly) over 30 non-runners, but (gladly) it put a kibosh on the family fun fair/face painting in the centre of the course. By the second race parts of the infield looked more like a grass verge in Hangleton than the centre of a racetrack.
My betting morale had been boosted as I arrived by the news that Afghanistan had beaten the West Indies in the Cricket World Cup. This had given me the ammunition to follow up by judging that this was the day for trainer Richard Rowe's annual winner. My confidence was enhanced when I saw an old character Dennis (aka Yogi) the Demolition Man on a trip over from Naas in Ireland. Dennis has had connections with the Rowe yard for years, and if he was here, then the chances were that the horse, Like Sully, was on a going day.
And remarkably, considering my luck since Christmas, so it proved to be the case. Dennis looked pleased in the winner's enclosure

afterwards so I suspect the trip had proved worthwhile. It all brought back memories of a wonderful evening with him and other Irish friends in County Kildare some years ago. Dennis told some brilliant stories, including one about buying a second hand JCB in Kilburn and having to drive it backwards to Crawley (including on the M25) as it only worked in reverse gear, and another one involving a deaf builder, a spade and a portaloo which I'm afraid cannot be reported in a family blogpost.
With that and the lucky last coming up trumps the return coach journey was a happy affair, although the mum from the family of four did not seem entirely convinced. Her verdict - "Racing's boring if you ask me but at least I'll be home in time for The Night Manager."
And by way of a future tip I suggest following Butney Island, who finished third in the first race. He was given a very 'considerate' ride and will be of interest first time out in a handicap hurdle. I even missed Tom Hiddleston in order to add him (Butney Island not the nation's favourite shirt-shedder) to my great new 'horse-tracker' app which emails me when the horse is going to run next. The bookies are quaking I am sure.