Haggas team hit form with across-the-card treble to raise hopes of upturn in time for royal meeting

The William Haggas stable appears to be hitting peak form just in time for Royal Ascot next week as a double here with Truthful and Lake Forest formed part of an across-the-card treble in just over half an hour.

Following Sea Silk Road's Group 3 success at the track on Saturday, Truthful got the ball rolling for Haggas in the £40,000 fillies' novice over 1m3½f before Lake Forest made a striking debut in the 6f novice contest.

In between those victories, Desert Voice scored at Yarmouth for a yard that hadn't quite been firing on all cylinders.

"We haven't had many days like this this year, so we're really going to enjoy it," said Haggas's wife and assistant Maureen.

Truthful holds an entry in the Ribblesdale Stakes but will not be going to Royal Ascot despite her commanding victory.

"She's a work in progress and is something to look forward to," said Haggas. "Royal Ascot will come too soon. We trained her sister [Sea On Time] last year and she would be a stakes filly but sadly got a tendon and was retired. It's a nice family."

Lake Forest quickened in the blink of an eye to give jockey Tom Marquand, who was aboard Truthful, a double of his own.

"He's a sweet horse who had been fat and lazy all winter and suddenly came to three weeks ago," said Haggas. "When Tom asked him to pick the bridle up, he went whoosh."

The Newmarket stable is still to finalise plans for many of its Royal Ascot team, but big guns My Prospero (Prince of Wales's Stakes) and Sacred (Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes) were declared on course for the meeting.

One for the notebook

James Doyle said he "couldn't be any happier" with the debut performance of By The Book, who justified strong market support in the 7f novice. The son of Frankel, who cost 400,000gns as a yearling, powered home to score impressively as the 5-4 favourite from his Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate State Of Desire.

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