ALL horses run fast past trees but there was no mistaking the quality of Ejaabiyah who cruised to victory in Salisbury's feature race yesterday (Sunday), the winning margin of nearly five lengths hardly reflecting the ease of the Frankel filly's win.
WHITSBURY trainer Marcus Tregoning is adopting a softly softly approach with Quietness who gained back to back wins at Salisbury this week. The Bated Breath filly was placed in her four races for George Baker last season before being transferred by owner Andrew Walpole in the new year, and belied a 221 day absence from the track by winning on her seasonal debut at Windsor last month when she was delivered to challenge a furlong out and lead close home in a 12 furlong handicap. However, Tregoning was not surprised by the outcome. "I thought she would win." Quietness was sent off the 5/2 favourite for a better class handicap at Salisbury on Tuesday when, despite being bumped at the start and taking a keen hold, Oisin Murphy was able to set a fairly sedate pace before increasing the tempo three out and just held on to beat the fast-finishing Alhattan - to whom she was conceding 7lbs - by a short head to give Walpole a birthday winner. Tregoning believes there is more to come from the filly but will take his time to upgrade her. "She's a late maturing type and I think a lot of her," he said by way of a compliment. "She's very straightforward. She's on an upward curve and was given a great ride by Oisin. She is progressing but we will not rush her. We will take things step by step and I have no firm plans for her, but I think she may get further in time."
A POTENTIAL runner for next week's royal meeting emerged when Ardennes atoned for his disappointing debut when leading from flag fall to land the six furlong juvenile race at Salisbury yesterday (Tues).
FOLLOWING a review of the 2022 racing programme, the British Horseracing Authority, the sport's governing body, contacted Salisbury about moving their all-age valuable Cathedral Stakes from its traditional spot on the eve of Royal Ascot.
CIEREN Fallon says a smile goes a long way, so he was naturally delight with Running Queen whose decisive success in the fillies race at Salisbury's first meeting of the year may justify an entry at Royal Ascot in June.
SALISBURY racecourse has far from been immune to the intensive rain and winds that have battered Britain over the winter, with almost 30 inches recorded on the downland track which opens for business on Sunday for the 2024 season.
IF it's October at Salisbury, then it must be Ralph Beckett. At last year's corresponding meeting, he sent out four winners and yesterday he notched a double with the beautifully bred La Pasionaria in the opening one mile juvenile race and Palmar Bay returning from a series of small setbacks to grab a seven furlong maiden, giving the Kimpton Down yard some consolation for the career-ending injury stable star Westover suffered in the Arc on Sunday.
great man didn't appear, there again no one really expected him to do so. Eighteen years had passed since Aidan O'Brien saddled a runner at Salisbury, his last being Dylan Thomas, subsequent winner of the Irish Derby and Champion Stakes, who ran in the Autumn Stakes, ironically a meeting re-routed from Ascot because of major construction work there.
Molly Stratton couldn't have written the script better - her first winner and achieved at her local track in front of her ecstatic family and friends who engulfed her after the thrilling finish.
SALISBURY'S racecourse supremo Jeremy Martin adopted a phlegmatic attitude over the poor turn out for the Tattersalls Sovereign Stakes, traditionally the richest race in their 16 meetings programme.
