WE could have live Middleham chances in both Guineas races at Newmarket next year after last week's Doncaster showing.

Patrick Haslam landed the May Hill Stakes with Kinnaird and Mark Johnston took the Champagne Stakes with Lucky Story, as we forecast last week. Both could easily go on to contest the Classics next spring.

Kevin Darley partnered Kinnaird on Thursday last to win for Haslam at 9-1 in the Group Two event. The filly, which cost just 8,000 guineas in April at the Breeze Up sales at Donny, has now won four of her five starts and is a strong 1,000 Guineas possible, quoted ante-post at between 22-1 and 50-1 after this impressive win.

Darryll Holland had the ride on Lucky Story in Friday's Champagne Stakes, another Group Two race. With no-one prepared to make the pace, the duo had to front run, no easy feat for a young horse. He repelled all challengers, despite a 4lb penalty for his earlier Group win.

Lucky Story, considered to be possibly the best the trainer has had since 2,000 Guineas winner Mister Baileys, could go on to follow in the steps of his stable predecessor.

The other Johnston contender for the Guineas is stablemate Pearl Of Love, which Holland rode in Sunday's National Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland. Unfortunately, the Middleham colt could only finish third to One Cool Cat.

Joe Fanning was fourth in the mile Listed race at Goodwood on Friday with recent winner Baileys Dancer.

Sixth in this spring's 2,000 Guineas, Reg Bond's Monsieur Bond landed Thursday's Listed Valiant Fortune Stakes at Epsom. Bryan Smart's charge was trapped on the rails, but jockey Robert Winston managed to squeeze through some small gaps to land the spoils.

On Friday, John Wainwright won the same sprint race at Doncaster which he had taken last year with Beyond The Clouds. This year his winner was the half-brother of last year's victor, Catch The Cat, but this surprised everyone at 66-1.

Last year's Doncaster St Leger winner Bollin Eric contested the Irish equivalent on Saturday at The Curragh, but could only finish fourth to Vinnie Roe, landing the race for the third time.

Tim Easterby had compensation when Fayr Jag landed the Group Three Ridgewood Pearl Stakes later on the same card under Kevin Darley. Jeepstar (Jamie Mackay up) took Monday's Musselburgh Gold Cup for the Great Habton trainer.

Sunday's other international action for the Johnston team was in France at Longchamp, where Joe Fanning partnered Darasim to land the Prix Gladiateur Royal Thalasso Barriere, a Group Three race, for Swiss owner Markus Graf.

Royston Ffrench continued to make a northern impression and won for Johnston at Redcar on Yoshka and at Thirsk for Robin Bastiman on Pepper Road.

At Redcar, young Keith Dalgleish, most of whose rides come from the Kingsley House trainer, was the first jockey to test positive for alcohol in a random breathalyser test before racing and was stood down for that day.

A urine sample was to be analysed before the Jockey Club considered further action and the rider was back in action at Yarmouth next day and Beverley on Wednesday.

However, it was Fanning who added another Johnston winner at Sandown with Duke Of Venice that day. The trainer said his runner had had stalls problems and Fanning had been working with him at home. The rider, in the middle of a purple patch, doubled up by winning the sprint for David Nicholls on the evergreen Rudi's Pet.

The Sessay handler also won up at Beverley when son Adrian Nicholls partnered American Cousin. This set him up well to land tomorrow's Ayr Gold Cup as per usual, with his many-handed entry - and no doubt also in today's consolation Silver Cup for those balloted out of tomorrow's handicap.

Although high in the weights, if Fire Up The Band runs and has a good draw, this could be the best of the Nicholls' lot.

Other DST area trainers were hoping for rain to give some ease to the going, such as John Quinn for Fantasy Believer and David Chapman for Quito.

With all the imponderables at Ayr, it is easier to look elsewhere, such as at Newbury where Kevin Ryan's Halmahera, bypassing the Gold Cup, should run in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy, and not without a chance.

Don Enrico Incisa has Cripsey Brook entered in the Newbury 3.15 and, if running, this model of consistency should do well. Cripsey Brook was awarded the Ruinart Star Performer of the Month for August for his last two wins under regular partner Kim Tinkler and gained the trainer a large bottle of the bubbly.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Doncaster: Kinnaird (trained by P Haslam, at Middleham; owned by S A B Dinsmore), ridden by K Darley.

Epsom: Monsieur Bond (B Smart, Hambleton; R C Bond), R Winston.

Friday. - Doncaster: Lucky Story (M Johnston, Middleham; Abdulla Buhaleeba), D Holland; Catch The Cat (J Wainwright, Kennythorpe; T W Heseltine), L Fletcher (claiming 3lbs allowance).

Saturday. - The Curragh: Fayr Jag (T Easterby, Great Habton; J Gill), K Darley.

Musselburgh: Feu Duty (T Etherington, Norton; Mrs M Greenwood, A Watson, K Hart), J Mackay; Rutters Rebel (A Swinbank, Melsonby; Mrs M Rutter), R Winston.

Bangor NH; Air Of Confusion (K Walton, Middleham; J Harper), N Mulholland (3).

Sunday. - Longchamp: Darasim (M Johnston; M Graf), J Fanning.

Hexham NH: Moonlake (F Murphy, West Witton; Mr & Mrs N Iveson), D Russell; Gilou (C Fairhurst, Middleham; P Richmond & Partners), N Hannitty (3); Mr Laggan (K Milligan, Middleham; Homebred (Hb), Mrs J M B Milligan), Mr M J McAlister (5); First Harmony (M Brittain, Warthill; trainer), A Thornton.

Monday. - Musselburgh: Jeepstar (T Easterby; Mrs E Jeeps & Partners), J Mackay; Divine Spirit (M Dods, Piercebridge; A Mallen), R Winston; Alpine Special (P Haslam; L Buckley), L Enstone (3).

Redcar: Millkom Elegance (K Ryan, Hambleton; Yorkshire Racing Club IV), N Callan; Yoshka (M Johnston; Saeed Buhaleeba), R Ffrench; Distant Country (L Ramsden, Sandhutton; M R Charlton), J Spencer.

Tuesday. - Thirsk: Pepper Road (Robin Bastiman, Cowthorpe; P Julian), R Ffrench; Stallone (Noel Wilson, Painsthorpe; Mrs K Ridley), T Hamilton (5); Favour (Lynda Ramsden; Hb, L C & A E Sigsworth), J Spencer.

Wednesday. - Sandown: Raccoon (David Barron, Maunby; Hb, P D Savill), R Moore; Rudi's Pet (David Nicholls, Sessay; trainer), Joe Fanning; Duke Of Venice (Mark Johnston; Sheikh Mohammed), Joe Fanning.

Beverley: Hoh's Back (Paul Johnson, White-le-Head; P & Mrs D M Johnson), Liam Fletcher (3); Mis Chicaf (John Wainwright; Anthony D Copsey), David Allan (3); American Cousin (David Nicholls; Middleham Park Racing XIV), Adrian Nicholls.