TOM Marquand forwent the main stage of York for the racing repertory of Salisbury to land a four timer with a treble for his principal employer William Haggis, highlighted by Relief Rally who took the novice stakes in such commanding style to earn a trip to Royal Ascot next month. 

Though she was barely two on her debut at Windsor, the Newmarket yard recognised it possessed a rare early season type in the Kodiak filly.

"It was a question of pointing her in the right direction," Marquand reflected of her cosy debut win. "She has been sharp from early on, and we were happy she would do what she did there. I just hope we have not hit the ceiling with her yet."

Marquand tracked her marker rival, the odds-on Juniper Berries who had been equally impressive on her debut, but once he put the Relief Rally into overdrive on the outside, she swept past for a length and three-quarters success.

She is not over big but possesses a powerful engine and a never say die spirit.

"She loves her work and has always been very straightforward," said trainer's wife Maureen. "She's all speed, very relaxed, very sweet and makes life easier. Being a Kodiak filly, I wouldn't want to run her on ground faster than this."

Haggas, who revealed the yard has more precocious types than in previous years, will resist the temptation to step her up to six furlongs with the Windsor Castle or the Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot next month as her mid-season target.

However, there are no ambitious plans for the yard's second winner in Kingfisher King who never looked like winning until the line in the ten-furlong maiden. "Tom was happy with him. He came from a long way back and is still a baby. We will see how he will come out of this. He's still learning and we will probably stick at a mile and a quarter." 

The athletic Truthful was the standout filly in the paddock in the fillies confined ten-furlong maiden, and though the winning margin was just a head, Haggas was thrilled with her performance. "She did that really well and behaved immaculately. It's always difficult on the first day at school but she was very professional, jumped out well and travelled well. She has a good attitude and sensible. Being a Sea The Stars filly, she liked this ground."

Marquand's second winner of the afternoon came with Zoukster who was under pressure a long way out in the six-furlong handicap but gamely responded to his driving to draw clear close home. 

Seldom does a meeting go by without local trainer Ralph Beckett having a two-year-old winner and Palmar Bay showed the benefit of experience by snatching the other juvenile race in the dying strides, and unlike Relief Rally, an extra furlong would not go amiss, jockey Rob Hornby reported.

"He's still green and was rushed off his feet in the early stages but he really knuckled down when I had to get serious with him. He has a really good attitude." 

Talented Liam Wright gained his ninth winner and his first at the track when he partnered Redredrobin to a comfortable success in the apprentice handicap.

Always up with the pace, he took up the running at halfway and though First Company came with a late challenge, thhe six-year-old was good value for his half a length success.

Wright, who switched from his Irish base of Dermot Weld in September, 2021, to link up with former champion jockey and now trainer Darry Holland, was conscious of a possible falsely run race with only half dozen rivals. "I let her make it and bowl along in front," he said. "There was only one other alongside me early on but got past that pretty well. She was very gutsy."

TOM Marquand forwent the main stage of York for the racing repertory of Salisbury to land a four timer with a treble for his principal employer William Haggis, highlighted by Relief Rally who took the novice stakes in such commanding style to earn a trip to Royal Ascot next month. 

Though she was barely two on her debut at Windsor, the Newmarket yard recognised it possessed a rare early season type in the Kodiak filly.

"It was a question of pointing her in the right direction," Marquand reflected of her cosy debut win. "She has been sharp from early on, and we were happy she would do what she did there. I just hope we have not hit the ceiling with her yet."

Marquand tracked her marker rival, the odds-on Juniper Berries who had been equally impressive on her debut, but once he put the Relief Rally into overdrive on the outside, she swept past for a length and three quarters success.

She is not over big but possesses a powerful engine and a never say die spirit.

"She loves her work and has always been very straight forward," said trainer's wife Maureen. "She's all speed, very relaxed, very sweet and makes life easier. Being a Kodiak filly, I wouldn't want to run her on ground faster than this."

Haggas, who revealed the yard has more precocious types than in previous years, will resist the temptation to step her up to six furlongs with the Windsor Castle or the Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot next month as her mid-season target.

However, there are no ambitious plans for the yard's second winner in Kingfisher King who never looked like winning until the line in the ten-furlong maiden. "Tom was happy with him. He came from a long way back and is still a baby. We will see how he will come out of this. He's still learning and we will probably stick at a mile and a quarter." 

The athletic Truthful was the standout filly in the paddock in the fillies confined ten-furlong maiden, and though the winning margin was just a head, Haggas was thrilled with her performance. "She did that really well and behaved immaculately. It's always difficult on the first day at school but she was very professional, jumped out well and travelled well. She has a good attitude and sensible. Being a Sea The Stars filly, she liked this ground."

Marquand's second winner of the afternoon came with Zoukster who was under pressure a long way out in the six-furlong handicap but gamely responded to his driving to draw clear close home. 

Seldom does a meeting go by without local trainer Ralph Beckett having a two-year-old winner and Palmar Bay showed the benefit of experience by snatching the other juvenile race in the dying strides, and unlike Relief Rally, an extra furlong would not go amiss, jockey Rob Hornby reported.

"He's still green and was rushed off his feet in the early stages but he really knuckled down when I had to get serious with him. He has a really good attitude." 

Talented Liam Wright gained his ninth winner and his first at the track when he partnered Redredrobin to a comfortable success in the apprentice handicap.

Always up with the pace, he took up the running at halfway and though First Company came with a late challenge, thhe six-year-old was good value for his half a length success.

Wright, who switched from his Irish base of Dermot Weld in September, 2021, to link up with former champion jockey and now trainer Darry Holland, was conscious of a possible falsely run race with only half dozen rivals. "I let her make it and bowl along in front," he said. "There was only one other alongside me early on but got past that pretty well. She was very gutsy."