Son Of Mahler Makes All To Complete Hat Trick

Annual Invictus (6g Mahler - Shantou Rose, by Shantou) completed a hat-trick of wins when justifying favouritism in Sunday’s Novices’ Hurdle at Plumpton.

A close second on his seasonal return in October, the Chris Gordon-trained bay went on to land a pair of two mile contests and stepped up to two and a half miles on Sunday. Tom Cannon rode the bay to make all, asking him to quicken from two out and kept on strongly on the run-in to score by six and a half lengths.

Annual Invictus runs in the colours of Thomas Michael Smith after being purchased privately from Cormac Doyle, for whom he won a four-year-old maiden at Toomebridge. The son of Mahler was bred by Mrs Deborah Hobson out of a half-sister to the talented Cannington Brook.