IT was as though the premier league had met the conference.

A rout - and much to the punters pleasure after favourite after favourite obliged at Salisbury on Friday night.

6-1 it finished, leaving the feeling that the bookies had gained a measly consolation goal when it was all too late.

It began with Greesley in the one mile amateur riders handicap.

Just five horses - so an easy race to win? Not a bit of it if you have to ride a horse that enjoys a nice lead into a race.

Greeley is one of those horses at his best when brought to challenge late - the complete opposite of the prepared tactics, with Patrick Millman enduring "a very long furlong and a half" to the line when he found himself in front too early.

The plan was to sit behind and wait for something to join him after the stalls opened. Bond Angel did - but not for long.

"He dropped out very quickly and mine became very lonely out in front" quipped Millman who kept Greeley up to his work to win by a length and a quarter but the deficit would have been considerably less had the second Bounty Pursuit not drifted to his left.

Favourite number two came with Ethic in the six furlong juvenile maiden.

Tom Marquand was one of several jockeys who made the 60 mile dash from the stellar Ascot card and it proved worthwhile when the William Haggis inmate, promising on his debut at Newbury, fought back tenaciously to overhaul the unfancied Stoweman. who had headed the market leader just over a furlong out.

"It worked out well," said the rider. "I got a nice draught into the race, I followed the horse I wanted to, and he did it well."

Favourite number three came via the hitherto disappointing Monsieur Noir who gave Andrea Atzeni a modicum of compensation for the wretched performance of the fancied Defoe in the King George and Queen Elizabeth stakes, leading from flag fall to easily hold off Angel Mead.

Favourite number four was Bay Watch who had been sent off a 40/1 outsider in a moderate Bath handicap on Wednesday but proved the win was no fluke when bursting clear in the five furlong handicap.

The five-year-old had been progressively regressive until he came into the yard of Gloucestershire-based Tracey Barfoot-Saunt some two months ago in a deal brokered by bloodstock agent Mel Smith.

Peter Ponting viewed the potential purchase, liked what he saw, and bought it.

"We were unsure how he would come out of the race at Bath," said Ponting. "He is so laid back nobody know what he is going to do."

Posted was winning favourite number five when he defied top weight in the seven furlong handicap to give Marquand a double, and then Global Hunter obliged in the 10 furlong maiden.

"I would like to think he could be highly competitive in handicaps," reported winning rider Oisin Murphy. "I have no doubt Saeed bin Suroor will talk to everyone about it but I think that's the route he will go down."

Blame it On Sally was furnished with favouritism for the closing 14 furlong handicap, no doubt a reflection of Sir Mark Prescott's resurgent form, but she could not pull back the enterprisingly ridden Oydis who romped to an eight lengths success.

Marquand went on a notch a double when Posted defied top weight in the seven furlong affair.

Andrea Atzeni gained a modicum of compensation for the wretched performance of the fancied Defoe in the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, sending sent the hitherto disappointing Monsieur Noir out in front from flag fall in the six furlong maiden and there he remained, despite the determined efforts of his only market rival Angel Mead.