LIKE others before him who have ridden in the historic Newmarket Town Plate, Ian Gault is already looking forward to next year following his first start in the three-mile, six-furlong flat race last Thursday.

First run in 1666, when won by its founder, King Charles II, the race takes place every year on the round course at Newmarket, but the Co Antrim farrier only learned about it by chance when planning a trip to a friend’s wedding in Cambridge.

Looking up the rules, Gault immediately realised that he fell into the category of being at least 16 years of age, knew that he could make the 12st without any serious dieting and that, happily, he would get a certificate of fitness from his own doctor.

However, having last ridden in a race some time ago, he had to ask Stuart Crawford to sign a certificate to say he was competent “to ride thoroughbreds at racing pace,” over the race distance and had to borrow all his gear from Ben Crawford! Not wishing to ride a strange horse, Ian chose to partner Mull On The Run who has resided at his Larne yard more or less since retiring from the track in the autumn of 2012.

Although the 12-year-old Desert Sun gelding has taken part in many other equestrian pursuits since then, including dressage, he pulled and pulled for his head in the early stages of Thursday’s race and Ian knew he wasn’t going to make the first three when the winning combination of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and the eight-year-old Galileo gelding Almagest passed him a mile and a quarter out.

“I just let my horse come home in his own time from there as it was a very hot and humid day,” said Ian, who reckons he’ll have to find an out-and-out stayer for next year’s race. “Take nothing away from Mull On The Run though, he just wouldn’t settle. I’d like to thank Judy Maxwell of Baileys Horse Feeds for all her help in devising a feeding regime for him and Roy Wilson Car Sales for help in transporting him to England.

“The whole thing, the build-up, the race and post-race presentations was a great experience. I never expected that at my age I’d be riding at Newmarket and it was amazing to share the weigh-room with the likes of Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and Jamie Spencer.

“Derek Jackson from Navan also rode in the race on one trained by Gordon Elliott, Faraway Mountain. Derek’s won it twice before I think and been placed and I can see why he would keep doing it again. It was a great buzz!”

Since returning home, Ian has been catching up on his farriery work and talking to his old favourite Chase The Sun, who provided him with that previous last mount in a Down Royal bumper in November 2002. “I had two runners in the race and Robert Patton rode the winner for me, a home-bred called Mister Felix, who we sold to Gerard and Susan Nock. Chase The Sun is now 25 years of age but is hale and hearty.

“Mull On The Run too has always been in great condition and is a credit to his former trainer, Michael McElhone. Since we got him, he has competed in dressage with myself and Gail (Baillie), has show jumped and won racehorse to riding horse classes with Robyn Catterall. Gail has also done some pleasure rides on him and it’s variety that’s so good for these ex-racehorses, they can get bored.

“We also have the Florida Son mare Georgiebegood who Ben Crawford finished second on for me in a Farmacaffley maiden a few years ago and we now event. I have two fillies out of a half-sister to Kingscliff (a Toulon half-brother to Mister Felix who counted the Betfair Chase (Grade 1) among his five chase victories) and I may breed from them in time but I’ve enough to be going on with at the moment!”