YORKSHIRE raider Golden Nun gave Irishman Robert Winston a first win on his native soil. Tim Easterby's runner landed the Kerry Group Ballyogan Stakes at Cork on Saturday night, a Group 3 race, to earn her trainer's accolade of "one of the gamest and soundest fillies I've ever trained."

The spotlight turned on Tuesday to Royal Ascot and whether Mark Johnston could repeat his former successes as leading trainer at the meeting, despite reported coughing in his yard. Up to press, only his 25-1 shot Double Obsession landing the Ascot Stakes on the first day has given the Kingsley House handler a crack at top spot.

Double Obsession was upped in trip to this two and a half-mile marathon, fitted with blinkers and given the assistance of John Egan for a five-lengths win. Johnston also won at York, Doncaster and Hamilton for Hamdan Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mohammed.

Middleham honours were flown high by Mine on Wednesday, James Bethell's runner winning the Royal Hunt Cup under Richard Quinn at 16-1.

This gives Sally Bethell a head start in the trainers and partners' charity tipping contest, as he has won twice now for her since she tipped him, including the Victoria Cup at the same track in May.

Kevin Ryan's Uhoomagoo could only finish 11th, but the Hambleton trainer has had a good week elsewhere, including a York winner on Friday and Saturday and at Ripon Wednesday night.

David Nicholls won with Eton at York and Lord Of The East at Thirsk, the quirky gelding trotted riderless to post with David McCabe running alongside, before coaxing the win. Son Adrian Nicholls partnered Sir Don to win at Hamilton and Dandy also took the Ripon opener.

John Wainwright took a valuable Sandown weekend sprint with Baron Rhodes and is in hot form at present. Richard Fahey is also in good form and took wins at Carlisle and Ripon.

Karl Burke is again in the running to win the charity tip-fest, with his Blue Power winning this week at Southwell on the sand, where the Wensley trainer had a double, Romil Star winning too for wife Elaine Burke. His form has been good on the turf, too, Party Ploy scoring at Thirsk.

The prize for little red henning (you'll remember the children's story - who will help me? No-one? Then I'll do it myself, said the Little Red Hen) goes to Ann Stokell.

The Brompton on Swale trainer, fed up with jockeys letting her down, took out her licence to ride again when banded racing came in with its higher weights. She then found her riding weight dropped and has been seen in action on most of her stable's runners.

This paid off on Monday night at Warwick on Pawan when she out-rode none other than Michael Hills on Barons Spy to win by a short head for a well-deserved victory.

On the jumps front, Chris Thornton had his first win for a long time at Hexham when Reno won in a battling finish.

The Week's Winners

Thursday of last week. - Southwell All-weather (AW): Diamond Shannon (trained by D Carroll, at Warthill; owned by Diamond Racing Ltd), ridden by D Tudhope (claiming 7lbs allowance); Snookered Again (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; R Edmonds & J Wade), P Mulrennan (5); Only One Legend (K Ryan, Hambleton; Sunpak Potatoes Ltd), N Callan; The Colline (N Tinkler, Langton; P Alderson, M Goss, A Momin), G Baker; Dash Of Magic (J Hetherton, Malton; 21st Century Racing), M Tebbutt.

Uttoxeter NH ev: Phase Eight Girl (J Hetherton; Homebred (Hb), P Urquhart), T Murphy.

Fri. - York: Eton (D Nicholls, Sessay; The McCauley Boys), A Greaves; Distinctly Game (K Ryan; Mr & Mrs J & R Richer), N Callan.

Southwell AW: Blue Power (K Burke, Wensley; F Jeffers), F Sweeney; Romil Star (K Burke; Mrs E M Burke), Mr S Dobson (3); Tancred Miss (D Barker, Scorton; Hb by trainer, running in name of Mrs S J Barker), T Eaves (3).

Sat. - York: Etmaam (M Johnston, Middleham; Hamdan Al Maktoum), R Hills; Cloud Dancer (K Ryan; Mrs G Quinn), G Parkin

Sandown: Baron Rhodes (J Wainwright, Kennythorpe; I Barran & P Rhodes), T Eaves (3).

Hexham NH: Reno (C Thornton, Middleham; The Reno Partnership), J Davies (3); Feanor (S Watt, Brompton-on-Swale; permit holder), K Mercer (7); Shays Lane (F Murphy, West Witton; Mrs C McKeane), K Mercer (7); Joy Box (T Easterby, Great Habton; M H Easterby), R Garritty.

Cork, Ireland, ev: Golden Nun (T Easterby; T G & Mrs M E Holdcroft), R Winston.

Sun. - Doncaster: Fiefdom (M Johnston; Sheikh Mohammed), Keith Dalgleish.

Mon. - Carlisle: Little Jimbob (R Fahey, Musley Bank; Dale Scaffolding Co Ltd), P Hanagan; Pepper Road (R Bastiman, Cowthorpe; P Julian), R Ffrench.

Warwick: Pawan (A Stokell, Brompton-on-Swale; Ms C Stokell), A Stokell.

Tue. - Royal Ascot: Double Obsession (M Johnston; R W Huggins, R B Huckerby, Atlantic Racing), J Egan.

Thirsk: Party Ploy (K Burke; Hb, I A McInnes), L Enstone (3); Lord Of The East (D Nicholls; The Wayward Lads), D McCabe.

Wed. - Royal Ascot: Mine (J Bethell, Middleham; M J Dawson), R Quinn.

Hamilton: Munaawashat (M Johnston; Hamdan Al Maktoum), J Fanning; Sir Don (D Nicholls; Mrs D Plant), A Nicholls.

Southwell AW: Simply St Lucia (J Weymes, Coverham; Sporting Occasions Racing No 6), C Catlin; Dispol Veleta (D Barron, Maunby; W B Imison), N Callan; Countykat (K Burke; B Bargh, J Hamer, S Henshaw), D Williams.

Ripon ev: Weet Watchers (D Nicholls; A A Bloodstock Ltd), M Halford; Bridgewater Boys (K Ryan; Bishopthorpe Racing), R Ffrench; Act Of The Pace (M Johnston; Mrs J Keaney), K Dalgleish; Doitnow (R Fahey; Hi-Tech Racing Club), P Hanagan.