Cecil a Yes man

A review of Wednesday afternoon's action at Lingfield where Dr Yes won the feature race on the new Polytrack surface.

Dr Yes gave the Sir Henry Cecil stable a timely boost ahead of Frankel's final appearance on Saturday by taking the feature race at the first meeting on Lingfield's newly-laid Polytrack surface.

While Frankel makes what is likely to be his swansong in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot, the career of Dr Yes is still in its infancy.

The best is probably yet to come from the three-year-old colt on the evidence of his pleasing win in the Europa Quality Print Handicap.

Sent off the 5-2 favourite, Dr Yes stormed into the lead over a furlong out and galloped a length and a quarter clear of long-time leader Fleeting Image with Enery third.

Successful rider Ian Mongan had partnered Dr Yes to his first win on his fifth start at Bath and feels there is more to come from the first foal of 2007 Oaks winner Light Shift.

"I won on him at Bath and I couldn't pull him up. He's a very nice horse," he told At The Races.

"He stays well and he's better on grass. It probably was a bit too deep for him out there, but he brushed aside some nice horses there.

"I think he'll stay very well. He's got a nice cruising speed. It was a genuine race and probably a good time on this new surface.

"He's got class in the family and I'm sure he'll go on to better things."

Correspondent looks to have a bright future after he confirmed the promise of a debut run at Newbury last month with an emphatic victory in the Natwest Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Stakes.

The 100-30 favourite, trained by Brian Meehan and ridden by Eddie Ahern, led a furlong out to beat the staying-on Persepolis by two and three-quarter lengths.

"Brian Meehan said from the start he was very nice and a good horse, so I think he's right," said Ahern.

"The way Brian's horses improve so much from their first run to their second is amazing.

"He's going to be a nice three-year-old and you don't want to get carried away, but hopefully he will go on to better things."

Paul Hanagan expressed his delight at the new surface with a 17-1 double on Close Together and Marmas.

He struck first on Close Together (5-1) for Epsom trainer Robert Mills in the GAC Shipping And Logistics Maiden Auction Stakes.

"She's not very big but she's very tough. I was never too far away as they didn't go very quick. She's hit the front pricking her ears and done it OK in the end," said Hanagan.

"The surface rode great. I was perched right behind the leaders and wasn't getting much kickback.

"Last time I rode here on the previous surface I got a black eye, the kickback being that bad, so I noticed a big difference."

Marmas, the 2-1 favourite from Marcus Tregoning's stable, got the better of Squad by half-a-length in the Chartplan Handicap to open his account at the seventh attempt.

"When they increased the pace he got caught out a little bit," said Hanagan.

"The further he goes the better. He didn't do a lot in front, but he kept putting his head down where it mattered. It's done him good to get his head in front."

Ryan Moore won the first race on the new surface when getting up on the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Pira Palace (7-2) close home in the TAG Worldwide Nursery.