HAT TIME is here again as Royal Ascot has dominated the week - and continues today for an extra day to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee. But not until Wednesday did our strong northern raid bring off a win.

Helm Bank, homebred by Mr and Mrs G Middlebrook, followed up a recent Ayr win by landing the Listed Chesham Stakes at 25-1 under Keith Dalgleish and foiling the Aidan O'Brian hotpot Tomahawk in the process.

The Middleham contingent nearly had a one-two, also, as Celtic Sapphire finished strongly under Kevin Darley to be a neck third.

Johnston's Mana d'Argent earlier was third in the Ascot Stakes, another good Dalgleish ride, and the trainer said that as his runner seemed to finish second or third no matter what course he ran, he was resigned to run him at Ascot where the place prize money was so good.

Tuesday saw David Nicholls with near things in the two five furlong events. In the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes, Continent was a head second, and in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, a handicap, Fire Up The Band was only a neck behind the winner, while stablemate Noble Nick earned prize money in fifth.

As well as the Middlebrooks' homebred win with Helm Bank, a number of local owner-breeders scooped successes this week - although at race meetings not quite as grand as Ascot. Mark Johnston did the business with Lord Hartington's homebred Purring at Thirsk on Tuesday, Joe Fanning riding for his lordship and co-owner the Duke of Roxburghe.

Tim Easterby has several good owner-bred inmates at Great Habton and won for Sir Neil and Lady Westbrook with Bollin Nellie and Bollin Edward at York and Ripon respectively. Annie Elsey partnered the first and won her weight in Champagne.

Mrs M J Hills' colours were seen to the good on the Tim Easterby-trained homebred Soba Jones at Hamilton.

The Easterby clan were to the fore at Musselburgh earlier in the week. Uncle Mick Easterby landed the opener with Mrs Jean Turpin's homebred Strong Hand, beating Tim's runner Sobaring. Tim won with Ridicule in the nest and later his brother-in-law Richard Fahey won with Flash Of Memory.

This runs in the colours of the Carnoustie Racing Club, which bred the mare, and which is the brainchild of Jean Niven, mother of former jockey Peter Niven. He has now received his licence to train, so will in future handle the winner.

Sally Hall and Colin Platts are perhaps best known for their jumps bred runners, but sent out a super youngster, Turn Back, to win under Mark Tebbutt at Carlisle's Sunday meeting. Mary Reveley, who has hit form again on the flat after a month's break, won with J and A Spensley's homebred My Line on the same card, Sam Hitchcott having the ride.

Chris Fairhurst has been successful for several years with the offspring of Celestine, owned by John and Janet Brearley. Their friends Mike and Diane Grace had a win at Hamilton on Wednesday with Ringside Jack, a Batshoof son out of their Skyliner mare.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: Meetings as shown are Flat on turf, except AW = Flat on all-weather, or NH= National Hunt (jumping); * = evening meeting; f = furlong (8f = 1 mile); chs = steeplechase; hdl = hurdle; NHf = National Hunt flat race (bumper); mdn = maiden; nov = novice; juv = juvenile; clmr = claiming race (entries can be claimed by sealed bid tenders); sllr = selling race (winner auctioned after race, other runners can be claimed); hcp = handicap; cnds = conditions race; clfd = classified stakes, a limited hcp; ltd = limited hcp; lstd = a Listed race; Gp = Group race (1, 2 or 3 shown); amtr = amateur riders; appr = apprentice riders; cond = conditional (jumps apprentice) riders; Hb = homebred by owner (or one of the owners).

Thursday last week. - Hamilton: (13f hcp) Whistling Dixie (trained by Mary Reveley, at Lingdale; owned by Mrs P D Savill), ridden by Tom Eaves (appr claiming 7lbs).

Uttoxeter NH*: (hcp chs) Mr Mahdlo (Bob Woodhouse, Welburn; M K Oldham), Graham Lee.

Friday. - York: (5f hcp) Maromito (Robin Bastiman, Cowthorpe; Peter Beaton-Brown), Keith Dalgleish.

Sandown: (5f clmr) Carlton (John Quinn, Settrington; Mrs Gay Page), Jimmy Fortune; (8f hcp) Captain Venti (John Quinn; I Buckly L Cross P Dixon N Watts), Darren Williams (3).

Wolverhampton AW: (7f amtr hcp) Bint Royal (Brian Ellison, Norton; Mrs Andrea M Mallinson), Miss Vicky Haigh (5).

Saturday. - York: (12f lady amtr hcp) Bollin Nellie (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Hb, Lady Westbrook), Miss Annie Elsey; (6f hcp) Artie (Tim Easterby; A Arton), Dale Gibson.

Sandown: (7f hcp) Mine (James Bethell, Middleham; M H Dawson), Kieren Fallon.

Bath: (111/2f clfd) Affray (Mark Johnston, Middleham; Abdullah Saeed Belhab), Joe Fanning.

Hexham NH: (mares' nov hdl) Abinitio Lady (Mary Reveley; Michael Ahern), Alan Dempsey.

Sunday. - Carlisle: (91/2f mdn) Turn Back (Sally Hall, Coverham; Hb, C Platts), Mark Tebbutt; (14f hcp) My Line (Mary Reveley; Hb, J and A Spensley), Sam Hitchcott (5); (6f hcp) Bundy (Michael Dods, Piercebridge; A J Henderson), Shane Kelly; (7f fillies' hcp) Forge Valley Lady (Les Eyre, Hambleton; Wetherby Racing Bureau 53), David Nolan (7).

Monday. - Musselburgh: (5f fillies' mdn) Strong Hand (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Hb, Mrs Jean Turpin), Terry Lucas; (5f hcp) Ridicule (Tim Easterby; Byculla Thoroughbreds), Tony Culhane; (14f appr hcp) Flash Of Memory (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; Hb, Carnoustie Racing Club), Paul Hanagan.

Tuesday. - Thirsk: (6f sllr) Clocking Off (David Barron, Maunby; S Knighton & A Kundi), Lisa Jones (7) (winner bought in for 4,800gns after); (7f mdn) Kentucky Blue (Tim Easterby; C H Stevens), Willie Supple; (12f hcp) Al Azhar (Michael Dods; Mrs Karen S Pratt), Joe Fanning; (8f fillies' hcp) Dakota Sioux (Richard Fahey; Mrs Una Towell), Paul Hanagan (3); (7f mdn) Purring (Mark Johnston; Hb, Lord Hartington & the Duke of Roxburghe), Joe Fanning; (7f hcp) Locombe Hill (David Nicholls, Sessay; David Faulkner), Tony Hamilton (7).

Wednesday. - Royal Ascot: (7f Lstd) Helm Bank (Mark Johnston; Hb, Mr & Mrs G Middlebrook), Keith Dalgleish.

Hamilton: (9f fillies hcp) Dispol Foxtrot (David Barron; W M Imison), Dean Mernagh; (6f hcp) Soba Jones (Tim Easterby; Hb, Mrs M J Hills), Dean Mernagh; (13f appr hcp) Ringside Jack (Chris Fairhurst, Middleham; Hb, M J G Partnership), Paul Goode.

Southwell AW: (6f mdn) Countykat (Karl Burke, Coverham; I Russell), Ian Mongan.

Ripon*: (5f nov) Inter Vision (Allan Dickman, Upper Helmsley; The Milan Partnership), George Duffield; (6f mdn) Bollin Edward (Tim Easterby; Hb, Sir Neil Westbrook), Willie Supple