IF it's October at Salisbury, then it must be Ralph Beckett. At last year's corresponding meeting, he sent out four winners and yesterday he notched a double with the beautifully bred La Pasionaria in the opening one mile juvenile race and Palmar Bay returning from a series of small setbacks to grab a seven furlong maiden, giving the Kimpton Down yard some consolation for the career-ending injury stable star Westover suffered in the Arc on Sunday.

With Beckett, who has an astonishing near 20 per cent winning record at the course attending the Tattersalls yearlings sales in Newmarket, it was left to his wife, Izi, to deliver the post-race assessment. "First box ticked," she quipped of the debutante who holds no exciting entries but the 2024 Oaks would seem the obvious target. "Very exciting for next year. I loved her attitude and she loved the soft ground. She was quite professional in the end."

Highly complimentarily of the course, she added: "We love this track. Jeremy Martin, the clerk of the course Jeremy Martin does a fantastic job with the ground and it's local. It's only 25 minutes away by horse box and it's no coincidence we brought Westover here for his last bit of work before the Arc."

Palmar Bay shrugged off a 140 absence to thwart his market rival Solar Aclaim. "There have been no big issues," explained assistant trainer Jimmy Daly. "He handled the ground fine but I think he will better on better going. He will probably have another run this season."

Qirat had been expected to follow up his Kempton success for the yard in the other seven furlong maiden but the two-year-old was under pressure a long way out as the pacemaking Finbar Furey set a searching gallop. Connections were unsure whether he would handle the soft ground until jockey John Fahy assured them he would, and and so it proved. 

"The plan was for him to jump out in front and he has surprised us," said assistant trainer Martin Bosley. "He's still developing and has a bright future. The way he galloped showed a mile should be well within his compass." 

Ten Bob Note and Indelible were sent off joint favourites for the first division of the seven-furlong affair but that was hardly reflected on the track, Finbar Furey running out a five-length winner to allay James Doyle's initial fears.

"We were quite hopeful today but with a Juddemonte bred horse, trained by Ralph Beckett, there, it's quite worrying but walking into the paddock, I looked at him and thought he would take some beating."

Doyle, who is forsaking Ascot's two day meeting this week-end for grade one action with Masters of the Seas for Godolphin at Keeneland and the Roger Varian-trained Royal Champion at Woodvine, put Ten Bob Note's experience to good use, and with Indelible squeezed out at the start, he enjoyed an easy lead. 

"He was left alone early, I increased the pace three out and quickly put the race to bed. He hits the ground quite hard but coped with the conditions quite easily. I don't think fast ground would be his bag."

There was significant support in the second leg of the one mile maiden for Sea The Thunder who had finished a well beaten last at Ascot on his debut last month, slashed from 16/1 on the overnight tissue to 4/1 on the course. 

However, the Kingman colt still looked green and the outcome was virtually settled before he came with a determined run on the outside to get within half a length of Goodwood Odyssey.

Trainer David Menuisier is not sure how good the colt is but the public will be none the wiser this year as the horse won't run again until next season.

And at 5.42 pm, it was left to the top weight Wilderness suffering the indignity of plodding past the post in last place in the concluding 14 furlong handicap to signal the end of Salisbury's 2013 season.