Carte Diamond shines to land big Doncaster prize

We anticipated a high quality race, and indeed it was, with both Mark Johnston and Tim Easterby double-handed. The Middleham trainer's Bendarshaan and the Great Habton runner, Jeepstar, were third and fourth respectively, behind the past champion jockey and the new one, Frankie Dettori on Distant Prospect.

With not a little irony, the winner, a three-year-old colt, was bought for 105,000gns out of Mark Johnston's yard. Owner Ashley Carr and Brian Ellison said that they had intended Carte Diamond to go hurdling and this big handicap, the traditional end-of-season big prize, was a bonus.

Carte Diamond will be gelded shortly and either head for the Triumph Hurdle or possibly next year's Ebor on the Flat. Ellison rounded off his good week with a jumps winner at Huntingdon on Tuesday.

David Chapman's star, Quito, landed his first Listed race, his 14th win in a long career, when ridden by Tony Culhane to land the six-furlong event. Chapman said that Quito thrived on racing and will probably continue on the all-weather. Later this week, Chapman said that his evergreen sprinter may go to Dubai for the spring carnival, adding that granddaughter Ruth Clark was "all for it" as she'd travelled widely, but "I get lost on the bus going to York!"

Kevin Ryan took the Doncaster opener with Soyuz, ridden by Tony Mullins. Having ended the turf season well, the Hambleton handler added another at Southwell on the all-weather, recently renewed.

Richard Fahey and Paul Hanagan took the seven-furlong Doncaster nursery with 16-1 shot Breaking Shadow.

Fahey and Hanagan were on the mark at Nottingham on Thursday and owner-breeder Sylvia Bond, whose Boppys Princess won for the fifth time this term, was full of praise for the trainer. He had a double, as Tony Hamilton won the Wolverhampton opener on Wrenlane for a delighted owner Keith Taylor. Robert Winston took two, including partnering Zoom Zoom for Linda Stubbs.

The two northern jockeys were head-to-head for the Go Racing in Yorkshire championship, each winning 36 in the county, but Winston received the trophy for more seconds and thirds.

The trainer with most Yorkshire wins was Mark Johnston, having taken 38 in the season.

This week he won at Nottingham with the Joe Fanning-ridden Starchy and at Yarmouth with Quizzine, partnered by Kevin Darley.

The Flat season on turf is over, and the jumps season is truly pepping up. Ferdy Murphy is cleanly off and running, with winners at Towcester and Hexham, followed by an Ayr double from Joes Edge and Haut De Gamme. Granit D'Estruval ran well enough at the Scottish course to give strong hopes for the planned attack on the Welsh National.

Keith Mercer won at Sedgefield for the West Witton team too, and added another at Kelso for his boss, where Brian Harding started a Murphy double by winning on Ballinclay King.

Howard Johnson and Graham Lee have continued in hot form. The pair had a Hexham double and won at Ayr with Iron Man, where Lee also partnered Joes Edge for Murphy. Two more runners from the Crook yard bearing the Graham and Andrea Wylie colours also won at Sedgefield, again a brace bagged by Lee.

At Haydock, Lee rode a winner for Andrew Turnell. Tim Easterby won when David O'Meara partnered Bollin Annabel, bred and owned by the late Lady Westbrook. Malcolm Jefferson sent out Red Nose Lady to win.

Peter Beaumont won at both Hexham and Southwell, where Mick Easterby saddled another winner for amateur Tom Greenall. Chris Grant got off the mark again at Carlisle and Keith Reveley sent out Malek at the Cumbrian course to score under Jim Crowley, who followed up for Reveley with a Wednesday Kelso winner.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Haydock NH: Bollin Annabel (trained by T Easterby, at Great Habton; Hb (homebred by owner or connection), owned by the late Hon Lady Westbrook), ridden by D O'Meara; Red Nose Lady (M Jefferson, Norton; Mrs M E Dixon), F King (claiming 3lb allowance); Noble Pasao (A Turnell, Malton; Mrs C Hollowood), G Lee.

Towcester NH: Union Deux (F Murphy, West Witton; Mrs M B Scholey), K Mercer (5).

Nottingham: Starchy (M Johnston, Middleham; Maktoum Al Maktoum), J Fanning; Boppys Princess (R Fahey, Musley Bank; Hb, Mrs S Bond), P Hanagan.

Wolverhampton AW: Wrenlane (R Fahey; K Taylor), T Hamilton (3); Zoom Zoom (L Stubbs, Malton; H Conton), R Winston.

Fri. - Yarmouth: Quizzine (M Johnston; Favourites Racing), K Darley.

Hexham NH: Fashions Monty (F Murphy; Hb, B Mulholland), K Mercer (5); Cionn Mhalanna (P Beaumont, Brandsby; D R Brown & Miss E E Toland), R Garritty; Blairgowrie (H Johnson, Crook; Transcend Bloodstock Llp), G Lee; La Perrotine (H Johnson; Mrs M W Bird), G Lee.

Sat. - Doncaster: Soyuz (K Ryan, Hambleton; The Fishermen), T Mullen (5); Quito (D Chapman, Stillington; M Hill), T Culhane; Carte Diamond (B Ellison, Norton; A Carr), K Fallon; Breaking Shadow (R Fahey; G Morrill).

Ayr NH: Iron Man (H Johnson; A & G Wylie), G Lee; Joes Edge (F Murphy; Chemipetro Ltd), G Lee; Cha Cha Cha Dancer (A Swinbank, Melsonby; Scotnorth Racing), D Costello (7); Haut De Gamme (F Murphy; The Haut De Gamme Partnership), K Mercer (7).

Sun. - Southwell NH: Moor Spirit (P Beaumont; Mrs C M Clarke), T Siddall; One Five Eight (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; J W P Curtis), Mr T Greenall (3).

Mon. - Carlisle: Minster Shadow (C Grant, Wolviston; A Cairns & Partners), D Elsworth; Malek (K Reveley, Lingdale; Mrs J W Furness & Lord Zetland), J Crowley.

Tue. - Huntingdon NH: King Eider (B Ellison; A Rix & Partners), T McCoy.

Sedgefield NH: Cotty's Rock (H Johnson; A & G Wylie), G Lee; Astronomic (H Johnson; A & G Wylie), G Lee; Fashions Monty (F Murphy; Hb, B Mulholland), K Mercer (5).

Southwell AW: Tyrone Sam (K Ryan; B T McDonald), N Callan; Sharoura (R Fahey; Manor House Partnership), P Hanagan.

Wed. - Kelso: Tomasino (K Reveley; P D Savill), J Crowley; Ballinclay King (F Murphy; I Guise B Leatherday, R Spence), B Harding; Basilea Star (F Murphy; B J O'Rourke), K Mercer (3).

Lingfield AW: Vicious Warrior (R Whitaker, Scarcroft; A Crossan), T Culhane.