ECHOS of Sir Henry Cecil knew no bounds at Salisbury today as the tragic death from cancer of the racing giant cast a massive shadow over the hum-drum card.

Jockeys wore black arm bands and in the dying drizzle before racing they, bookmakers and the crowd impeccably observed a minute’s silence in his honour.

His long-standing friend and rival Richard Hannon saddled a double including a colt once trained by the legend and his stable jockey Tom Queally rode a winner.

Cecil had scored with the unraced Songbird, his last runner at the track at its premier May meeting.

Hannon said of Cecil: “He was an absolute genius, a great man with horses.

“He was one of the best trainers I have known in my time, probably the best.

“It is terribly sad. He had battled so hard against this dreadful disease. Thank goodness he had Frankel at the end.”

Devastated Salisbury's leading trainer was standing in his customary position after he had greeted Kyllachy Rise, who had only moved to his yard some six weeks ago after being outclassed in the 2,000 Guineas, his last start for Cecil.

Hannon trained the three-year-old for joint owner Peter Waney, who he met some 40 years ago in the now defunct 21 Club in London.

“I must have been just two at the time,” quipped Waney over the length of their friendship and his age.

Hannon said of Kyllachy Rise: “He’s a really nice horse and there are better things to come.”

A devastated Queally, scoring for the fifth time this season for David Evans, extended his sympathies to Cecil’s family and friends.

“He was a brilliant trainer but he was an even greater person. I feel so terribly sad.

“Anything he did in life was diffedrent class. Every trainer wants to aspire to his amazing achievements.

“His brillant handling of Frankel, making the right call at every turn, indicated what a wonderful trainer he was.

“He made the job so much fun.”

Queally caused a major upset when the relatively unconsidered Lone Warrior swooped late and fast to take the second division of the juvenile auction race.

Hannon took the first division when Richard Hughes grabbed the initiative three out on Emperor’s Hope, whose inexperience was a vital factor in her debut defeat at Kempton last week.

Tight Fit, heavily backed in the seven furlong handicap, won the award for the best named winner of the day, being by Assertive out of Bikini!

Henry Candy, co-owner with Martin Lidsey, revealed it was the first winner he had trained for him in some 20 years.

Lyric Ballad followed her seasonal debut win at Sandown last month by comfortably taking the ten furlong feature of the day, despite drifting slightly across the course after making her challenge.

The form of Godolphin was exemplified in the seven furlong fillies handicap when the odds-on chance Ghanaian held the persistent challenge of stable companion Elnadwa.

But no one could have left the course happier than Malcolm Saunders, who trained his first winner of the season after a frustrating run that included seven seconds, when Sunny Feature won the 12 furlong handicap.