Fallon steers Aktia to Salisbury triumph

KIEREN Fallon had rolled back the years with a sparkling treble on Wednesday's Salisbury card and he came up with another triumph over adversity at the same course on Aktia (11-2) yesterday.

Luca Cumani's filly had just failed to make it a hat-trick on her latest run at Leicester but she was last with three furlongs to run here and was the first under pressure in the European Breeders' Fund Fillies' Handicap.

However, through grim determination Fallon managed to start passing rivals and reached the 3-1 favourite Calatrava Cape last of all, getting up by a nose.

Fallon continued his supreme run in the Group 3 totesport.com Sovereign Stakes aboard Sea Lord (7-2). Mark Johnston's colt could not have been more willing and made all the running, as he has done right the way up the handicap ranks this season.

Horses were queuing up behind but simply could not get past with Ted Durcan opting to catch him by surprise on the wide outside with Poet's Voice, flashing home late but getting beaten by a nose. Deirdre Johnston, the trainer's wife, said: "He's just so tough and a fantastic horse - he has won six out of his last seven and the only time he was beaten was at Royal Ascot when he had a bad draw.

"We knew he was a Group horse before Goodwood but we went for a handicap there for the prize money. He has quite a few entries abroad so we'll have to sit down and take a look."

Frankie Dettori unexpectedly gave one of his famous flying dismounts after scraping home aboard 2-5 favourite Barq in the Mary Wort Memorial Maiden Stakes. This time his celebration was not for the Wiltshire crowd but for his six-year-old daughter Tallula.

Godolphin's colt looked ready to build upon his promising recent reappearance at Yarmouth for much of the way but was very nearly overcome by debutant Magic Jack, who narrowed the gap to a head. "Tallula has been bugging me to come in the helicopter for two years now and I said to her 'today's the day'. That was for her," said Dettori.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor added: "He needed the race last time and we'll look for a better one now. Seven furlongs is his trip."

Meanwhile, Ryan Moore will not return to action until next week after damaging his wrist in a fall at Windsor on Monday.

The earliest the champion jockey will be back race-riding will be Monday, a day before the start of one of the biggest meetings of the year, the four-day York Ebor Festival. He suffered the wrist injury when his mount, Rocket Rob, fell after having passed the winning line in third place.

"I've taken him off until the end of the week to give him a little bit more time," said his agent Tony Hind."Hopefully he'll back for York."

Moore, three-times champion, is currently third in this year's title race behind Paul Hanagan and Richard Hughes.

The feature race of the York meeting is, of course, the Ebor and Overturn is one of 57 remaining entries, with the Barry Hills-trained Tastahil left at the top of the weights following the defection of the Luca Cumani-trained trio Manighar, Drunken Sailor and Purple Moon. Leading contender Harris Tweed has been confirmed, but is an expected absentee as connections accepted their charge was unlikely to make the cut for the famous Knavesmire handicap.