Veteran Mullins a Galway blazer
A couple of weeks earlier, he enjoyed his first classic when Vintage Tipple landed the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Mullins, who will always be best-known as the man who trained Dawn Run, the only horse to ever complete the Gold Cup-Champion Hurdle double, has been at the top, or near the top, of Irish racing for over half a century.
He previously tasted success in the traditional Ballybrit feature with Boro Quarter and The Gooser and took his latest achievement in typical style, calmly and with hardly a hint of emotion.
"I thought my Galway Plate days were long gone," he smiled.
"I knew he had the ability to win, but felt inexperience might be his downfall." He was loud in his praise of 22-year-old winning pilot, Rober Power, who was having a first spin in the Plate. "Robert gave him some ride," said Mullins.
Nearly A Moose carried the colours of Michael McGinley, father of Ryder Cup hero Paul.
Meanwhile, the doyen of British flat jockeys Pat Eddery pulled off a brilliant victory at Goodwood yesterday to collect his sixth Sussex Stakes on 20/1 outsider Reel Buddy and show how big a gap will be left in the weighing room when he retires at the end of the season.
The 51-year-old steered his mount from last to first to just get up on the line in a thrilling finish to edge Irish raider Statue of Liberty by a head with Norse Dancer filling the minor placings in a Group One for the third time, a short head away in third.
Godolphin's desperate search for their 100th Group One winner will have to wait for another day as Moon Ballad had every chance but finished fifth. Eddery was welcomed back into the winners' enclosure by the rest of the jockeys, who ran out of the weighing room to applaud him anticipating the traditional crate of champagne bought by a Group One winning rider.
The Irishman said that he had no intention of calling it a day immediately and would honour his commitments till the end of the season similarly, he refused to revise his decision to retire after 34 years in the saddle. "I've got to go sometime," said the four-time winning Arc de Triomphe rider. Eddery added he saw his chance when the field drifted off the rails and he niggled the five-year-old along. "You have to squeeze him because he can go to sleep.However, he picked up really well."
