THE Ascot Festival of Racing has no strauncher supporter than Mark Johnston and he deservedly came home to Yorkshire with one of the best records there, landing the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes and passing the £2m prize money mark for this season into the bargain.

On Friday, Love Everlasting landed the Listed Harvest Stakes under Kevin Darley. This not only pushed the trainer through a new prize money record level, but also began an excellent week for the filly's owner-breeders, Gary and Lesley Middlebrook.

Love Everlasting may run tomorrow in the Group 2 Prix de Royalliey at Longchamp, the trainer said after her Ascot win.

Doughty Mana D'Argent, Keith Dalgleish partnering, took his fourth Ascot win in the two-mile closer on Saturday and heads now for the Cesarewitch. Dalgleish, however, picked up a two-day suspension for excessive whip use.

Sunday's win by Systematic in the Young Vic Theatre Cumberland Lodge Stakes was welcome for both trainer and Maktoum Al Maktoum, out of luck with other runners of late.

This, and a follow-up win by Scott's View later, was by way of a blast from the past, as both were partnered by Johnston's former jockey, Darryll Holland, Darley and Dalgleish both being in Canada.

Johnston said later this week that Scott's View will not run in the Cesarewitch, as he feels a mile and a half is his optimum trip. He will go in Listed company later.

At Woodbine, brave old Yavana's Pace was third in the Grade 1 Canadian International, but suffered a suspensory tendon injury at first thought career-threatening, but which later proved not as bad as feared. Dalgleish partnered the ten-year-old.

Zindabad, under Darley, disappointed in fifth - but still earned just short of £19,400. For the record, the race went to Aiden O'Brien's Ballingary, under Mick Kinane, in Mrs John Magnier's colours - the winner has since been sold to stay in the States.

Johnston had an excellent week all round. Wins came at Redcar and at Haydock, where Murghem's partner Joe Fanning took a double (one leg for Jamie Osborne).

At Hamilton, young Dalgleish rode a treble for Johnston. He won on the Middlebrook's homebred Night Mist in the first leg and they were also responsible, on the breeding side, for Cryfield, Nigel Tinkler's winner, partnered by wife Kim Tinkler.

Other highlights of the week included a Darley win for James Bethell at Pontefract on a useful-looking Derwent and Dandy Nicholls' busy runner Eton landing a Newmarket race under apprentice Clare Roche.

On the jumps front, George Moore has made a cracking start and he and Mary Reveley took Sedgefield doubles. Moore is one of two trainers in the Weatherby's pilot scheme for direct electronic race entries via the internet. Geoff Harker sent out a first seasonal winner at the County Durham course.

Malcolm Jefferson continued to shine over fences and Andy Turnell, who has just a handful of horses at his stables, had both a Flat and a jumps winner for Mrs Claire Hollowood, the latter all the way down in Devon.

Racing Week was sad to hear that Denys Smith, the Bishop Auckland trainer, is to retire at the end of the season, saying that he was tired of subsidising the game.

Looking at the weekend, good wishes go with our runners in France, which may include Halmaheara, to be supplemented yesterday as we went to press for Sunday's Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye. Nicholls is represented by Bahamian Pirate, runner up last year, and by Continent.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Pontefract: (10f rtd hcp) Derwent (trained by James Bethell, at Middleham; owned by M J Dawson), ridden by K Darley.

Perth NH: (mdn hdl) Activist (George Moore, Middleham; John Robson), Russ Garritty; (amtr hcp hdl) Romany Hill (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Capt M S Bagley), Mr Andy Tinkler; (NHf) Patriarch Express (Geoff Harker, Wensley; A P Muir), Niall Hannity (claming 3lbs).

Fri. - Ascot: (12f Lstd) Love Everlasting (M Johnston, Middleham; Hb, Mr & Mrs G Middlebrook), K Darley.

Redcar: (5f nrsy) Gaelic Princess (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Platinum Racing Club), Robert Winston; (10f sllr hcp) Chipsey Brook (Nigel Tinkler, Langton; Don Enrico Incisa), Kim Tinkler; (9f mdn) Amundsen (M Johnston; Abdullah Saeed Belhab), Keith Dalgleish; (7f mdn) Hurricane Coast (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Hb, Mrs Ian H Wills), R Winston.

Haydock: (14f cnds) Murghem (M Johnston; A Al-Rostamani), Joe Fanning.

Sat. - Ascot: (16f hcp) Mana D'Argent (M Johnston; Hb, Daniel A Couper), K Dalgleish.

Market Rasen NH: (nov chs) Warrlin (Chris Fairhurst, Middleham; Glasgow House Racing Syndicate), N Hannity (3lbs); (juv nov sllr hdl) Direct Decendant (John Quinn, Settrington; Dwayne Woods), Tony Dobbin; (NHf) Tickton Fluer (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; bred by trainer, owned by T D Rose & A P Foreman), Mr Gino Carenza.

Sun. - Ascot: (12f Gp 3) Systematic (M Johnston; Naktoum AL Maktoum), Darryll Holland; (12f hcp) Scott's View (M Johnston; Great Escape Partnership), D Holland.

Musselburgh: (8f nrsy) Rutters Renegade (Alan Swinbank, Melsonby; S V Rutter), Fergal Lynch.

Mon. - Hamilton: Night Mist (M Johnston; Hb, Mr & Mrs G Middlebrook), K Dalgleish; (13f rtd hcp) Robandela (M Johnston; R Aird), K Dalgleish; (81/2f hcp div 1) Cryfield (N Tinkler; Mrs A Moran), K Tinkler; (div 2) Adamas (A Turnell, Malton; Mrs C Hollowood), Chris Catlin; (9f mdn) Fresh As A Rose (M Johnston; Iona Equine), K Dalgleish.

Tue. - Exeter NH: (mdn hdl) Little Tobias (A Turnell; Mrs C Hollowood), Mick FitzGerald.

Sedgefield NH: (nov hdl) Latensaani (G Moore; Keith Nicholson), Russ Garritty; (clmr hdl) Double Blade (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; The Mary Reveley Racing Club), Alan Dempsey; (nov chs) Sorrento King (M Reveley; B Padgett, K Bennett & A Davies), Fergus King (7lbs); (hcp hdl) Poachers Run (G Moore; D J Bushell), R Garritty.

Wed. - Newmarket: (10f appr hcp) Eton (David Nicholls, Sessay; D Metcalf), Clare Roche (3lbs).

Newcastle: (5f hcp) Penny Ha'penny (David Barker, Scorton; Hb, P Asquith), D Holland; (8f hcp) Ruby Legend (M Reveley; Mrs J M Grimston), J Fanning