All-weather racing has proved too great a lure for Nick Littmoden and Nigel Shields and Cut Across could be smart enough to sustain their renewed interest for a while after his debut victory at Lingfield.
Step back to the middle of the last decade and the pair were the dominant forces on the sand as they picked up titles for leading all-weather trainer and owner, but dissatisfaction with the prize-money situation led to them moving in different directions.
Littmoden continued to train in Newmarket but diversified by preparing other horses to run in Hong Kong, while Shields, a professional gambler of some repute, concentrated on ownership in America instead.
This is not the start of some great new era, particularly as Cut Across (6-1) carries Littmoden's blue silks rather than the better-known white, green and yellow of Shields, but the four-year-old showed a pleasing turn of foot against more experienced rivals as he blitzed down the outside of the field.
After his victory in the Blue Square Winter Carnival iPhone App Maiden Stakes, Littmoden said: "You've not seen the best of him and we might hold on to him for the turf now. Nigel is a firm friend and a massive supporter of mine. I think we both got a bit disillusioned with running for shirt buttons, but Nigel's starting to get back into it a bit."
Palace Moon's 2011 was a disappointment for William Knight's stable as both trainer and horse failed to build on their exploits in previous seasons.
But Palace Moon (7-2), given a breathing operation in the winter, made it two from two this year and provided owner Roger Kilby with a 66th birthday present by taking the Get Your Bet On At bluesq.com Handicap in more impressive fashion than the official margin of a length would suggest.
Knight said: "I don't think he was ever right last year, but I felt pretty sure he was back to his best. An obvious thing to do would be come back here in a fortnight for a Listed race, but he could go to Dubai or Chantilly for something next month."
Peter Crate saddled his second ever winner when Taajub (11-4 favourite), a very smart juvenile when with William Haggas, scooted through late in the Play Da Vinci Diamonds At bluesq.com/games Handicap. Crate used to have horses with various Epsom trainers but now has five of his own at stables in Newdigate, near Dorking.
He said: "My son, George, has been the national pony racing champion and I thought we'd try training a few so he could ride them in amateur races during the summer. This horse was second in the Gimcrack and the Cornwallis for Mr Haggas and I really think a lot of him."
