FORMER Saint Mick Channon donned a thick coat and jeans to combat an icy wind that buffeted Salisbury yesterday.

But he has such a high opinion of his juvenile winner Cotubanama that it will need top hat and tails if he runs her at Royal Ascot in June.

In testing conditions that led to a revamped programme due to a patch of false ground at the seven furlong marker, the two-year-old belied her starting price, having drifted in the market, to run out a comfortable winner as she put her experience to good use.

The one time Dell favourite, now more than hopeful that Southampton will avoid relegation after their 2-1 defeat of Bournemouth, said: "She was pretty backward and knew nothing first time out at Newmarket where she fell out of the stalls but we have always thought a lot of her. I will look at a listed race at York for her, then maybe Ascot."

Channon, who has always been a trainer to follow at the start of the season, scored a hat-trick with his three runners but luck was certainly on his side in the 10 furlong handicap after the favourite First Eleven remarkably got caught in a pocket in a four horse race and having to be snatched up, lost critical momentum, by which time the front running Westbrook Bertie had poached a decisive advantage, leaving the trainer with a puzzle of where to place him next.

"It's hard to know where we shall go," he said. "I'm not saying he is a group horse but he is nice with bags of scope."

He then told the Press: "I've got a good chance in the next. If he runs up to his mark, he will win."

Channon has never spoken a truer word, jockey Charles Bishop exuding extreme confidence as he brought Billy Ray into a challenging position three out and the three-year-old ran on well to land the 12 furlong maiden. "We will go down the handicap route with him as well but we will have to see what the handicapper does with him. He has only done what the form book says what he should have done."

Appropriately in National Hunt weather, the feature race fell to Paul Nicholls with the talented hurdler Moabit who won for the third consecutive time at the track in inching out the top weight Cleonte. "He loves this ground, stays all day and relishes a battle."

His daughter, Megan, who rode the winner, said: "He's tough but it was good someone came up to him as he doesn't do too much up front but he's a pleasure to ride."