FROM winning lowly bumpers to landing a big international race at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai, Collier Hill has become a Yorkshire fairytale horse.

Alan Swinbank's seven-year-old Dr Devious gelding landed Friday's Elnadim Sponsored By Derrinstown Stud, a 12-furlong handicap on the Dubai turf, under a good ride by Dean McKeown.

Not that you can bet in the desert, but at odds here of 20-1, the Melsonby raider beat the Philip Mitchell-trained, German-bred Corriolanus (Richard Hughes) by a good length and a quarter and earned connections £31,250, not a bad day's work.

The Yorkshire horse cost just £5,000 originally and has now won upwards of £200,000, £187,000 of which is from his Flat races.

His first win was at Catterick, almost to the day three years back, a bumper race, and he has progressed from then to now, including a maiden hurdles at Kelso in December 2003, a good handicap at Hamilton last May under Robert Winston, and a similar event in Tabor, Sweden, last September under Dean McKeown.

We were, however, surprised that the racing press did not even mention the win - had the trainer been from Newmarket or Lambourn, we suspect there would have been banner headlines.

Middleham trainer James Bethell took Mine out to the desert, too, and under Keiran McEvoy, the horse was a good third in the Chester International Stakes, a mile handicap on turf, a week last Thursday.

Of course, all the talk of the week is who is to replace Keiren Fallon at Sir Michael Stoute's Newmarket yard, now the former champion has gone to Ireland to ride for Ballydoyle. Northern jockey Robert Winston is among the bookies' choices, but it would be a big jump for the young man.

On the all-weather, again providing much of the week's racing, Saturday's Southwell was a feast for Yorkshire. David Barron took the mile handicap with Sweet Potato, Philip Makin riding.

The lad went on to take the first of a Ray Craggs double, Witchelle and Shape Up both winning, the second partnered by Paul Hanagan. He doubled up for Richard Fahey on Instructor.

Ann Stokell won on stable stalwart Pawan, which she also trains for her family.

She nearly pulled off a double, as Legal Set was only just beaten into third later, again trained and ridden by the Brompton on Swale handler.

Lynda Ramsden got off the mark for the year with Kangarilla Road at Wolverhampton on Monday, her Brazilian jockey Leandro Goncalves riding.

All this bodes well for the on-coming start of the turf season here, but our attention is, of course, focused on jumping with just over a week until the Cheltenham Festival. Mind you, meetings have been on-and-off, with Catterick managing to race in the slight thaw between last week's dump of snow and this.

Chris Grant and Malcolm Jefferson, both with Haydock wins, look to have chasers in the making. For Grant, Baron Monty, under the familiar Trevor Hemmings' colours of green, yellow and white, landed the hurdles over the fixed brush French-style jumps. Jefferson's Portavadie took the bumper and, again, could go chasing next year.

Kempton on Saturday was a blank day for us. Howard Johnson's Royal Rosa, in the re-scheduled Rendlesham, was third behind Crystal D'Ainay and Monet's Garden. He finished lame and faces a long spell off. Owner Graham Wylie said later this week that stablemate Inglis Drever may now contest the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Festival in Royal Rosa's stead.

Our weekend wins waited until Musselburgh on Sunday, with a Howard Johnson-Andrea and Graham Wylie pair scooting home at short odds, Diamond Sal landing the novice hurdle and Lennon the bumper. The first may go for the Crandon Park Mares' Final at Newbury, while Lennon is on course for the Cheltenham bumper.

Both were partnered by Tony Dobbin, who also took two more for Scottish trainer Len Lungo, and neared his third seasonal century.

Richard Guest also sent out an odds-on winner, Admiral taking the second division of the maiden hurdle under Henry Oliver. This gave the Brancepeth trainer his top seasonal score so far, with 48 wins. The winner will probably go on the Flat this summer, as he was a Royal Ascot winner when with Sir Michael Stoute.

Mick Easterby and his amateur Tom Greenall won the three-mile-plus handicap hurdle with Kings Square, bred by the trainer and joint owner A G Black. Fergus King fell from Gemini Lady and suffered a suspected broken collarbone.

Catterick on Tuesday saw three of the seven races go to "locals" and three others to West Yorkshire trainer Sue Smith.

Robin Bastiman, with rider son Harvey, landed the seller with Wally Wonder (no bid afterwards).

Keith Reveley took the mares' novice hurdle with Clouding Over and Peter Beaumont the novices hurdle with Italiano.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Haydock: Baron Monty (trained by C Grant, at Newton Bewley; owned by T Hemmings), ridden by R McGrath; Portavadie (M Jefferson, Norton; Ashleybank Investments Ltd), F King (claiming 3lb allowance).

Fri. - Wolverhampton AW: Anduril (I McInnes, Catwick; M Shirley), J Quinn.

Nad Al Sheba: Collier Hill (A Swinbank, Melsonby; R G Hall & A Young), D McKeown.

Sat. - Southwell AW: Sweet Potato (D Barron, Maunby; Harrowgate Bloodstock Ltd), P Makin (3); Witchelle (R Craggs, Sedgefield; trainer), P Makin (3); Pawan (A Stokell, Brompton on Swale; Ms C Stokell), A Stokell; Shape Up (R Craggs; trainer), P Hanagan; Instructor (R Fahey, Musley Bank; Yorkshire Racing Club Owners Group 1990), P Hanagan.

Sun. - Musselburgh: Admiral (R Guest, Brancepeth; W McKay), H Oliver; Diamond Sal (H Johnson, Crook; A & G Wylie), T Dobbin; Kings Square (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Hb (homebred by owners or connections), A G Black & JEH Quickfall), Mr T Greenall; Lennon (H Johnson; A & G Wylie), A Dobbin.

Mon. - Wolverhampton AW: Kangarilla Road (L Ramsden, Sandhutton; Manor Farm Stud (Rutland) ), L Goncalves.

Tue. - Catterick: Clouding Over (K Reveley, Lingdale; W D Hockenhull), R McGrath; Wally Wonder (R Bastiman, Cowthorpe; R Long), H Bastiman (3); Italiano (P Beaumont, Brandsby; Mrs M Turner), G Berridge (5).

Wed. - No DST area winners.