By John Hoskins

IT was an afternoon of contrasts at Salisbury - the season's finale highlighted by two firsts, one for jockey Tom Marquand and the other for trainer Alan King.

For Marquand, it was his first day of competing as a fully fledged professional and for King it was his first juvenile winner in 2016, a not surprising statistic given that flat racing for him is almost a sideshow.

Marquand had been locked in battle for the apprentice championship and though he has lost out to Josephine Gordon, he was reflecting on the positive rather than the negative after partnering the unconsidered Billesdon Bess to victory in the second division of the seven furlong auction race, prompting the question of when did Richard Hannon last saddle a 25/1 winner with a two-year-old at the track.

"I could have dropped off the radar," Marquand reflected of losing his claim in June, only too well aware how hard it has been for others to progress in such circumstances. "But I cannot be disappointed with the season I have had. I've just been trying to keep the winners rolling on."

Unless an eleventh hour offer comes in to ride abroad, he will confine himself to all weather tracks once the turf season ends.

It was not just a chill wind that indicated winter is not far away, with the opening race falling to King who's patiently waiting for rain to launch his National Hunt challenge.

War Chief, who already possesses the size and scope of a hurdler he would covert, took the first division by five lengths which does not say much of the opposition, especially as he had been left several lengths.

However King regarded that as a blessing in disguise.

"Delighted by that," he said of the performance. "I always thought he was very good. He was quite keen going down and he virtually fell out of the stalls but that helped him settle. If he had jumped out well, it might have got him there too early."

By their standards, the Hannon yard has not been in all conquering form at Salisbury this year but it ended on a bright note with Bigger and Better in the 10 furlong handicap. The horse however has an uncertain future - he's off the sales, no doubting his size will attract bids from the jumping stalwarts.

Frankel sired yet another juvenile winner when the unraced Icespire took the seven furlong maiden fillies race in style, impressing Robert Havlin and giving trainer John Gosden his fourth success in the race in the last 11 years.

"He's the best behaved Frankel I've ridden," quipped Havlin. "She has been a bit of a handful but has turned the corner and was very professional today. She has a bit of class and this would have been her minimum trip."

Gosden then went on to win the feature race with Crazy Horse who has only run once since winning Newbury's normally informative Horris Hill Stakes 12 months ago and that was in finishing sixth in the French Guineas in the Spring.

"But he's had little niggles," Havlin reported. "He has a lot of talent, he likes soft ground and a good solid pace." Gosden has been enjoying a remarkable strike rate of one in three of late, unlike David Loughnane who had only saddled two winners from his last 41 runners.

Luck however finally turned in his favour with a double notched by Coolcalmcollected and No Refund in identical fashion - both came in the seven furlong handicaps, both were ridden by Paul Hanigan and both led from start to finish.

But there was a sting in the tail for Hanigan who received a seven day ban for using his whip over the permitted level on Coolcalcollected.

But for Green light, it should read red.

For the record he was the last horse home in the last race in the Salisbury 2016 season!