The trainer and jockey combination of Andrew Balding and David Probert sent favourite backers home happy when they teamed up to land a hat-trick with Hallings Comet, Viscount Vert and Rocky Reef at Chepstow racecourse on 25th June.

The odds-on Hallings Comet caught the eye most with a strong running, virtually wire-to-wire, performance for owners Lord and Lady Blyth in the one mile classified stakes.

It is worth noting for punters that when Probert teams up with Balding at Chepstow they have a near 50 per cent strike rate, it's a point that certainly won't have passed the bookies by after Monday's results.

The layers were given some respite in the second race, the 1m 4f maiden, when odds-on favourite Cyrus Sod was overshadowed by the Marcus Tregoning trained Asker who, despite running green at virtually every stage of the race, stayed on well to record a facile six length victory at the line.

Although Asker was making his debut on the flat, he had recorded a win on his only other start in a Worcester bumper last October under the perennial jumps champion Tony McCoy, and is held in high regard by his trainer: "Tony McCoy really liked him at Worcester so we have given him plenty of time. He ran a bit green but is learning all the time. I cannot wait to jump a hurdle with him, but for now we will concentrate on the flat and take it from there" said Tregoning.

Asker is a half-brother to the Paul Nicholls trained top class hurdler Celestial Halo, so it will be interesting to follow him when he switches to that sphere.

For more racing, see this week's Beacon (4th July)