'It's tough making it pay - it's virtually impossible at our level at the moment'

Jedd O'Keeffe echoed the views of many smaller trainers as he ended a quiet spell then declared it "virtually impossible" to make racing pay at present.

He admitted it was a pleasant surprise to win the mile handicap with Silk Bird, but then added to the gloom surrounding his profession in the wake of a recent study that revealed a 17 per cent decline in trainer runners in the past decade.

O'Keeffe, who has trained in Middleham since 2000, had gone two months without a winner before the filly's 12-1 success under Jack Garritty.

"It's been shocking," he said. "The jumpers were doing all right before they all went into the field. But the Flat team is smaller than it was and it's been quiet.

"Covid hit us hard numbers-wise and we've just got to try to rebuild, but it's not easy. It's tough making it pay – it's virtually impossible at our level at the moment."

Silk Bird was a first homebred winner for owners Caron and Paul Chapman, and O'Keeffe said: "That was very nice, but possibly a slightly pleasant surprise because she ran atrociously last time and we never found out why.

"The cheekpieces seem to have helped and dropping back to a stiff mile must have helped a bit. We rode her like she seemed to favour in the past, racing prominently. But last time she just seemed to hate the job and today she seemed to love it. I can't explain it."

Familiar Face in the winner's enclosure

James Doyle had ridden a double at Newmarket in each of the two previous days and kept up the good work by landing the Listed Sky Bet Pomfret Stakes over a mile on Poker Face.

The three-time course winner had landed a 1m2f handicap here last autumn, but his jockey said: "Hopefully we've worked out his trip now. It's taken a little while but I think a mile is good for him, especially getting to this time of year when we get rain-softened ground."

Liam Elvidge, racing manager to Simon and Ed Crisford, confirmed: "I think we'll stick to a mile. There are plenty of Group 3 options for him now, the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury, the Strensall at York and a race in Ireland."

You can't buck the market

The betting was spot on ahead of the first division of the mile maiden, for which Dubawi Warrior was an 11-4 shot in places at breakfast time but was backed into 5-6 favourite at the off whereas Tribute, a morning 8-13, started at 6-4.

Those whose bets forced the price change were in the money as the new market leader scored a smooth five-length win under Tom Marquand.

Owner Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum's racing manager Philip Robinson said: "The other morning he did his best gallop this year, we were pleased with him. Saying that, this wasn't a great race. But it will do his confidence a world of good. He's been a bit of a slow learner but hopefully he's going the right way."

The Crisford-trained Tribute finished sixth under Doyle and Elvidge admitted he was "very disappointing".

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