CANDOLIM MONSOON landed Hove training legend Derek Knight a fourth success in the Coral Sussex Cup at Hove on Saturday.

On a night lit up by four finals and Space Jet’s last-to-first Regency victory, Candolim Monsoon justified steady support throughout the day to score a hugely popular local success in the £10,000-to-the-winner GBGB Category One, the September 2020 son of Magical Bale and Maireads Shauna making all off a fast start.

Pacing up well for a 4.33sec sectional, Knight’s star was soon in full flow and the likes of runner-up Droopys Google (Nathan Hunt) and running-on Frompostopillar (Liz McNair) could never get close enough to challenge as the Hove star kept up a cracking pace to the line, scoring by two lengths in 29.62sec (+10).

Success for the Candolim Six-owned Candolim Monsoon, named after a village in India where the owners holidayed before deciding to get together to buy the two-year-old, followed Knight’s other wins in the Coral Sussex Cup with Astrosyn Eulogy (1998), Smoking Bullet (2000) and Lozzas Dream (2002).

The man himself was delighted at the presentation podium, joking with RPGTV’s Darrell Williams about how overdue this fourth Sussex Cup triumph was given Lozzas Dream’s victory was some 21 years ago, but celebrating the success for the kennel as a whole.

“He’s such a lovely dog and in really good form,” said Knight. “We knew he had a great draw and when he’s made the bend you just wanted him to kick on and that what’s he done. He stays the trip really strongly and it’s great for the kennel – Maria, Natalie, Ellen, Julie, Nigel and Callum. They work hard and all deserve this.

“You work hard for the buzz you get on nights like this – and well done to Hove for staging not just the best night’s racing here of the year, but I’d say the best night’s racing in the UK. They’ve offered good prize-money and that encourages owners into the game.”