ON PAPER it was far from the most illustrious race in which he has ridden but it will be embedded in the memory for Cieren Fallon who reached a career milestone at a blustery Salisbury today.

The son of the six times champion jockey Kieren Fallon rode his 75th winner of his career - 74 in Britain and one in Italy - to achieve the first of three aims this season in losing his apprentice claim when he partnered the favourite Twilight Song in the opening juvenile race.

Such has been his meteoric rise that he was a 7lb claimer last year when he took the apprentice title which he is intent on defending this season and enable him to be the first rider since Gary Bardwell more than 30 years ago to achieve the feat in successive seasons.

And for that, he gave a generous tribute to his boss William Haggas, the Newmarket trainer's connections enabling him to spend the winter riding in Australia and America to hone his skills.

"I am absolutely delighted," he reflected of the landmark. "I've had a lot of support over the last two years and Mr Haggas has done a really good job looking after me."

His other target is to better his total of 60 plus winners of 2019, and midway through this truncated season is halfway there. Of the winner who hinted of promise when belying his 100/1 starting price on his debut third at Windsor, Fallon said: "He was very green last time and learnt a lot. He was very professional today and I always felt he was going to get there."

Another leading apprentice is Finley Marsh who provided a unique statistic - riding his fourth consecutive winner for four different trainers at four different racecourses after plan A had to be aborted in favour of plan B.

The instruction from trainer Richard Hughes was to keep it simple but after breaking well, Old News dropped back but finding a gap on the rails, he led a furlong out and ran on strongly.

Citing the application of blinkers and a drop back in trip for his improvement, he admitted: "I got to the front a little earlier than the boss would have liked! It's sticky ground and there is a strong wind and if I had made the running, I don't think I would have run."

Marsh, now eight short of riding out his claim, knows how tough the racing game can be, but is a strong adherent of the old saying the harder you work, the luckier you get. "It is hard work but rewarding. I enjoy working for the boss. I couldn't have a better one. Riding winners motivates me."

The feature race fell to Cobh who bravely fought off the determined challenge of Fancy Man to land the one mile two-year-old test after being re-routed to Salisbury after a planned mission to Deauville last weekend was scuppered by the Covid epidemic.

"He's more than tough, he's got a turn of foot," said Clive Cox who trained his sire, Kodi Bear, who occupied the adjacent stable at the Hungerford yard. "He has size and scope and is going the right way."

Cobh's success was a form of revenge after he was just beaten by a stablemate of Fancy Man in a listed race at Ascot last time. "It was a great run but he was beaten by a nice horse on the day, but like many of our, he's progressive," added Cox who intends to give him one more race this season, with the Royal Lodge at Newmarket high among the options.

John and David Egan have contested many a race together and it was the son who gained the bragging rights when the pair had the finish to the one mile, six furlong handicap, to themselves. Egan senior looked as though he might steal the race on General Zoff when Postileo looked trapped on the rails but Egan junior extricated him to collar his father inside the final furlong to win by one and three quarter lengths.

"It was just another race and it shows there are no prisoners to be taken in racing but it always great fun to ride against him, " said the winning jockey who earlier had taken the one mile fillies handicap on Zezenia who disappointed on firm ground last time out at Haydock.

"She was finding all the way to the line and beyond the line. The ease in the ground made her travel better and hopefully this will be a stepping stone to better things and maybe grab some black type."