PUNTERS could almost set their watch on Ralph Beckett.

If it's September and Salisbury, he will monopolise the three juvenile races. Two winners had already advertised their ability but it was the unraced filly who made the greatest impression. 

Sandtrap came to the racecourse with a formidable reputation, so much so she was an odds-on favourite for the seven-furlong maiden, and smoothly justified it.

A tall, leggy filly who will undoubtedly fill out her angular frame over the winter, she looked classic material as she coasted to a near five length success. What she beat is debatable but there was no mistaking her quality.

"She was very professional," Hector Crouch beamed of the Loup de Vega two-year-old who probably won't run again this season. "I had hoped I would find a tail to follow instead of being on the wing. I wanted to teach her as education was paramount and that's why I was keen to drive her out in the final furlong. It was the first time I had sat on her. Rob (Hornby) did a piece of work with her on Saturday and he was impressed. She's undoubtedly very talented."

Of his two other juvenile winners, one relished the soft going, the other detested it as they triumphed in contrasting styles. 

Square D'Alboni skipped over the gluey ground to land the one-mile novice stakes, unlike Tabiti who displayed a tremendous attitude to snatch back the rescheduled Dick Poole Stakes over an inadequate six furlongs.

Beckett confessed the colt was better than he originally believed. Unruly in the stalls on his Doncaster debut, Square D'Alboni comfortably took a seven furlong race at Epsom last month.

"I was quite impressed with that," said Crouch after the unfashionably bred colt galloped away from a good class field to win by five lengths. "The Epsom form has taken a couple of knocks but he was impressive again today. I thought he would have to be group class to defy a penalty but he did it and did it well."

Beckett echoed Crouch's opinion. "I didn't think he would win the race like that under that penalty. He has done physically well over the year. He's a really nice horse and we will have to see where we go from here."

Tabiti was surprisingly headed in the market as well as in the five furlong fillies sprint, but showed real resolution to battle back to grab the initiative and though the winning margin was only half a length, it did not reflect her authority.

Beckett's plan is to run here in Newmarket's Rockel Stakes but the problem was finding a suitable race in the interim. "We dropped her back to six because this race fitted her, but she wasn't enjoying the ground at all. She was in front long enough but got back there. I have always felt she's a smart filly."

Much was expected of Jewelry as reflected by the rare appearance of trainer William Haggas who forsook his beloved Yorkshire to saddle the Newbury scorer. Tucked away at the back of the field, she was a spent force at half way.

Beckett's hopes of a four timer were dashed when Military Academy stayed on too resolutely for Valvano who had been off the track since April. The fact that trainer Thady Gosden had travelled to Salisbury was a pointer in itself and the Fastnet Rock colt ran out a six length winner. 

"He's not the finished article," said Tom Marquand. "He will improve with experience and will stay further."