KIPLING'S two imposters, triumph and disaster, are ever close in the racing world, although sometimes hyperbole leads all of us to describe simple good and bad luck by these two over-used words.

On Saturday and Sunday, however, we had evidence of disaster real enough. At Sandown, David Barker's Celtic Mill, a leading fancy in the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Sprint, partnered by champion jockey Frankie Dettori, clipped the heels of the David Nicholls-trained, Darryll Holland-ridden Lafi and fell heavily, rolling over and over, as did the hapless Italian.

Dettori broke a collarbone and is now effectively out of the championship race this year. It could all have been so much worse, as the horse is all right, the jockey surviving after surgery to fix a plate to the break.

But at Market Rasen, Tom Halliday, 20, a promising conditional from Sue Smith's West Yorkshire yard, lost his life in a fall when his mount landed on him.

His funeral will take place on Tuesday at 11.30 at the Roman Catholic church of Christ the King, Bingley. The family asks for donations in lieu of flowers to the Injured Jockeys Fund. At meetings this week, silence was observed in the young rider's memory and Racing Week joins all in sending condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

For David Barker, some compensation came on Wednesday when he landed his first win at Newmarket, Sierra Vista scooping the five-furlong sprint under Robert Winston.

And David Nicholls, whose Lafi was only second by a short head on Saturday, has nonetheless had a great week. Trinculo won at Beverley that day and Victoria Peek rounded off the week at Catterick on Wednesday, both ridden by son Adrian.

New apprentice at the yard Victoria Behan, 19, who came to Sessay to join the team five months ago from County Kildare, partnered Rudi's Pet to land a valuable Musselburgh race on Monday, her first winner. She followed up at Pontefract next day for her second success, partnering Eton.

Nicholls had a double, winning the King Richard III Handicap over six furlongs with Pieter Brueghel, partnered by none other than R Winston.

Fantasy Believer won the six-furlong sprint at Epsom on Thursday night last for John Quinn and is now on target for the Vodafone Stewards Cup at Goodwood on July 30 and the Ayr Gold Cup. He was runner-up last year in both those big races so connections are hoping to scoop both this season - and the sprinter turned out again in rapid time to be third in the King Richard III at Pontefract to the Nicholls' winner.

The Quinn-Fantasy team are in good form, for this win was the owners', the Fantasy Fellowship's, second in the week, adding to Kevin Darley's success on Fantasy Defender at Musselburgh three days earlier.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Haydock: Inchadamph (trained by T FitzGerald, at Malton; owned by R Cardwell), ridden by R Winston; Borderlescott (R Bastiman, Cowthorpe; Border Rail & Plant Ltd), A Mullen (claiming 5lb).

Yarmouth: Downland (N Tinkler, Langton; A Graham), K Tinkler.

Perth NH: Rajam (G Harker, Wensley; Our Emerald Club), W Kennedy (7).

Epsom ev: Fantasy Believer (J Quinn, Settriungton; The Fantasy Fellowship B), M Fenton.

Friday. - Sandown: I'm So Lucky (M Johnston, Middleham; Mrs S Brookhouse), J Fanning.

Beverley ev: Grande Terre (R Fahey, Musley Hill; Mr & Mrs Calder), P Hanagan; Tabaret (R Whitaker, Scarcroft; T Adams), D McKeown; Rice Mother (M Johnston; Jumeirah Racing), R Ffrench.

Haydock ev: Plenty Cried Wolf (R Fahey; Hb (homebred by owner or connection), G Paver), T Hamilton (3); Hill Of Almuhim (K Burke, Wensley; F D C Partnership), F Norton; Society Music (M Dods, Denton; H Hewitson), S Sanders; Mary Gray (M Johnston; R Smith & Mrs L Boggs), K Darley.

Saturday. - Beverley: Snake Skin (K Ryan, Hambleton; Hb, The C H F Partnership), N Callan; Trinculo (D Nicholls, Sessay; N Shields), A Nicholls; Michaels Pride (M Johnston; Dalua Racing), K Darley; Nowaday (T Tate, Tadcaster; trainer), T Queally.

Leicester: Bloodstocktv (L Stubbs, Malton; Champagne Club), L Fletcher.

Carlisle ev: Whitethorne (R Fahey; Mrs D Swinburn), D Gibson; Rouge Et Noir (K Reveley, Lingdale; The Mary Reveley Racing Club), D McKeown.

Sunday. - Market Rasen NH: Ceannairceach (M Jefferson, Norton; Hb, D Taylor), G Lee.

Monday. - Musselburgh: Welcome Approach (J Weymes, Coverham; T Scothern), P Makin (3); Senor Bond (B Smart, Cold Kirby; R Bond), F Lynch; Rudi's Pet (D Nicholls; trainer), V Behan (7); Toss The Caber (K Reveley; Hb, P Savill), T Culhane.

Ripon ev: Eminence Gift (K Burke; D McMahon), M Fenton; Lyndalee (T Easterby, Gt Habton; Mrs J Connew), D Allan; Torrens (R Fahey; C Reynard), T Hamilton (3); Grande Terre (as above), T Hamilton (3); Sound Breeze (M Johnston; Hb, M Burke), K Darley.

Tuesday. - Pontefract: Pieter Breughel (D Nicholls; D Faulkner), R Winston; Venetian King (H Johnson, Billy Row; A & G Wylie), R Winston; Eton (D Nicholls; trainer), V Behan (7).

Wednesday. - Newmarket: Sierra Vista (D Barker, Scorton; D Metcalfe), R Winston.

Catterick: Tanforan (L Ramsden, Sandhutton; J Abell), D Allan; Victoria Peek (D Nicholls; Ambrose Turnbull), A Nicholls; Joshua's Gold (D Carroll, Warthill; K H Taylor Ltd), D Tudhope (3).

Carlisle ev: Gifted Flame (D Barron, Maunby; R Migueal), D Corby; Son Of Thunder (M Dods; R Mould), A Culhane; Unlimited (A Duffield, Constable Burton; Mrs L Tounsend), A Culhane.

Worcester NH: Acushnet (M Jefferson; Hb, D & R Bostock), G Lee.