Fallon factor key at Salisbury

Kieren Fallon and Sea Lord proved to be a faultless combination in the totesport.com Sovereign Stakes as they held Poet’s Voice by a nose in a pulsating finish to Salisbury’s feature race of the season.

With a sparkling treble on Wednesday’s card, Fallon is riding as well as he has since his comeback last year and he extracted the very best out of the Mark Johnston-trained Sea Lord (7-2), a horse for whom nothing seems too much to ask.

The front-running three-year-old has made incredible progress up the handicap ladder and two weeks ago Johnston saddled him to land the valuable totesport Mile at Goodwood, despite already knowing he had the ability to contest races like this Group Three.

Fallon soon made the lead his own but was crowded at the two-furlong marker with the likes of Fair Trade, Dream Eater and Hearts Of Fire readying to make their challenges.

Sea Lord refused to let any of them pass and it was up to Ted Durcan to make a final late attempt to catch him by surprise on the outside aboard Poet’s Voice but they could not quite get there.

“Ted was coming at me fast – he knew to go wide because of what Mark Johnston’s horses are like in a battle,” said Fallon.

“He has done well in handicaps and carried a lot of weight at Goodwood. He’s tough and genuine.

“You have to wind him up, but riding horses like that make you feel good.”

Reflecting on his recent run, Fallon added: “I had a couple of days off to freshen up. You need it.

“It’s been a good season and Luca Cumani’s horses are in great form. It’s York next week and I’m also going to America to ride Summit Surge in the Arlington Million.”

Deirdre Johnston, the trainer’s wife, added: “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.”

Fallon had earlier been the difference between victory and defeat for Cumani’s Aktia (11-2), who was the first under pressure but obliged by the bare minimum in the European Breeders’ Fund Fillies’ Handicap.

Frankie Dettori usually reserves his flying dismount for at least Group races but he had a special reason to leap from the saddle after the Mary Wort Memorial Maiden Stakes – his six-year-old daughter Tallula.

Dettori was aboard 2-5 favourite Barq, who looked certain to build upon his recent second at Yarmouth but was very nearly overcome by debutant Magic Jack close home.

“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.

Winning 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.”

Andrew Balding’s older horses have excelled this season but the appropriately-named Catalyze (3-1) was the first to break the ice from his juvenile team of “about 50”.

Rider Franny Norton was isolated towards the stands side of the RSM Tenon Maiden Auction Stakes while 9-4 favourite Sagramor had the far rail to help but four lengths split them by the post.

“My two-year-olds just weren’t ready and they have only started to come right in the last couple of weeks,” reported Balding.

“This is our first winner, but we’ve only run a few. We always thought a bit of this one and were a little disappointed he didn’t win at Lingfield first time out. We’ll see what sort of mark he gets for nurseries.”

Jamie Spencer had a luckless passage aboard Fair Trade in the feature but gained minor compensation through the uncomplicated 3-1 jolly Russian Rave in the Bill Garnett Memorial Fillies’ Handicap.