THE spiralling cost of fuel is being particularly felt by jockeys.

Take Cieren Fallon for example. The Newmarket based jockey endured a six-hour, 340-mile round trip to Salisbury for just one ride.

Thankfully, it won.

The son of the former champion jockey, Kieren Fallon, is only too aware what he and his colleagues pay at the pumps, as they travel the length and breadth of the country for their living.

"It costs £120 to fill up every time we leave Newmarket and I do about 12,000 miles a year," he revealed.

"Before, it used to be £80, so you can easily work out the sums for yourself, but by the time I get home, I will only have about 200 miles left in the tank."

Fallon rode Bajan Bandit who got the best of a bunch finish to land the opening seven-furlong maiden for two-year-olds.

Fallon kept the swiftly away 125,000gns yearling tucked away just behind the leaders, and when a gap materialised a furlong and a half out, he seized it.

"He was a bit raw and green, and he will learn from this," reported Fallon who considers the Oasis colt will be seen to better advantage when the rain arrives.

"The ground is a bit quick but he will improve with a bit of ease in it."

The fast going was readily reflected by Dubai Mirage who in taking the feature race of the day, all but shattered the one-mile course record.

It was a case of head up and head down at the winning post when the top weight cruelly cut down Larado - who had virtually led throughout but crucially hung left in the closing stages - by a nose, the verdict so close that rider Adrea Atzeni wasn't confident about the outcome.

In fact, he feared the Larado had almost stolen the race.

"The leader quickened and it was hard to pull him back. I thought I would pick him up but he quickened and wasn't stopping. I wasn't sure I got there."

Atzeni is very much a jockey for punters to follow at the course.

Before Wednesday’s meeting, he boasted a remarkable 26.9 per cent winning rate, and that statistic was bettered when he drove Asaassi to a length and a quarter victory in the nine furlong maiden and then completed a treble with First Officer who didn't seem to relish the firming ground in the 12 furlong handicap but hung on to thwart the late challenge of Al Azhar.

The glorious summer weather has been a boon for the holiday trade but not so for several trainers, Alan King in particular who was forced to withdraw the classy Trueshan from Royal Ascot's two major staying races last week, and has had to utilise his all-weather strip instead of his grass gallops to keep his string fit.

All the portents therefore seemed to be against Nap Hand debuting in the six-furlong auction stakes.

"I thought I would finish fourth of four," quipped King who saddled his first juvenile winner at Salisbury in 2004 and whose newcomers are invariably better for a run.

The Fast Company colt indeed looked set for a supporting role when he drifted across the track but once James Doyle straightened him, he collared the pacemaking Delirious Dream in the dying strides.

"Seriously, I am delighted with that. There are no plans, there's no rush with him."

Lihou does not do the equine equivalent of putting his feet up.

The five times winner was having his 74th race under rules when contesting the handicap sprint and finally returned to the winner's enclosure after a barren run of 24 starts.

Doyle put up an intriguing, if not tongue in cheek explanation for the turn around.

"The farrier has played with his feet and put on some fancy new wheels! David (Evans) said there is new material in his shoes which has done the trick."

And a good afternoon for Doyle ended when Dancing Harry, who threatened to be running to his best form when a recent third at Sandown, took the long distance handicap.