NORMAL service was resumed last Saturday, thank you, even if "substitute" jockeys had to be used. Howard Johnson took an excellent hurdles double at Haydock and also added the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

Mephisto took the Haydock opener, the Grade 2 Brit Insurance Prestige Novices' Hurdle, Timmy Murphy taking the injured Graham Lee's place in the familiar Andrea and Graham Wylie colours. The Royal and SunAlliance is his Festival aim, the trainer hinted.

Akilak surprised everyone (except his jockey and trainer) when winning at 50-1 at Cheltenham last time, but took the Victor Ludorum Juvenile Novices' Hurdle here in good style and at odds-on, with Tony Dobbin riding in Lee's stead. This is bound for the Triumph Hurdle, it would appear.

Tony McCoy was the choice for the Wylies' Inglis Drever in the Axminster Kingwell Hurdle, another Grade 2 race, at Wincanton to make up the Johnson Saturday treble.

The champion jockey used forcing tactics on the stable star, who clearly did not like the right-handed track, jumping markedly left throughout and in particular over the last two.

This did not stop him beating the rest by a good five lengths and, bearing in mind that Alderbrook and Hors La Loi both used this race as a springboard to their respective Champion Hurdles at Cheltenham, Inglis Drever could prove the best of the home-based entrants this year. His biggest dangers will be the Irish contingent.

At Uttoxeter's Saturday meeting, Jedd O'Keeffe won with Impulsive Air, the Coverham runner beating Richard Guest's Mr Bigglesworth a neck, but both 17 lengths clear of the rest.

Richard McGrath's win for Don Forster on Ossmoses was well done, as he dropped his whip and used nothing more than the flat of his hand to encourage the County Durham raider to win.

Mick Easterby sent down Dancing Partner to take the bumper, amateur Tom Greenall up, as so often for the Yorkshire trainer.

Sunday's Towcester meeting saw another Easterby family triumph when Pay Attention, trained by Tim Easterby and bred by his father Peter, won after a fine David O'Meara ride for the Ryedale Partnership. This good novice was taking her fourth victory and second at the course and should go far.

At Sandown a week last Thursday, in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup, Ron Woodhouse sent down his Barryscourt Lad, ridden into fourth place by son Ben, to earn good prize money. This return was promising, a first since winning the Great Yorkshire (as it still was) in 2003, more than 750 days ago.

Fakenham's Friday meeting saw Ferdy Murphy's Be Upstanding beaten a head, ironically by his former assistant John Supple with Don't Tell JR, ridden by former Murphy rider JP McNamara.

Murphy's useful novice, Supreme Developer, was also only narrowly beaten at Sandown, Brian Harding riding, by Paul Nicholls' L'Ange Au Ciel (Ruby Walsh). This was in part thanks to another northern raider, the Richard Guest-trained and revived Jericho III, who set a furious gallop in a duel with the Martin Pipe horse, Figaro du Rocher.

Carly's Quest was a respectable third on Saturday in the Pertemps Hurdle at Haydock, but Truckers Tavern could not produce his best in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup later, looking as if more testing ground might assist.

Guesty's other recent revival, Ghadames, was beaten by just one, Sue Smith's Town Crier, in the tw-mile handicap chase. And others in the notebook include Chevet Boy, third for Howard Johnson in the fixed brush French-style hurdles race which closed the Haydock card.

If Kempton gets to go forward tomorrow, we've two good Ferdy Murphy runners entered in the Racing Post Chase, Tribal Venture and Europa. Preference is for the former, a course and distance winner.

Johnson's hurdler Covent Garden is in the handicap hurdle next and, after Tony Dobbin's success for the Crook trainer last weekend and his mount's improvement last time, this could be a good choice.

However, Dobbin is also booked to ride at Newcastle - if the weather relents! And in the unlikely event that the Eider Chase runs, we note that Barryscourt Lad is entered. Although he may have come on for his fourth last week, preference is for Ferdy Murphy's Mac's Supreme. Next best: Keith Reveley's Malek.

We also note that Chris Grant has entered two in Chepstow's 3.25, booking Richard McGrath for either Minster Shadow or Web Master. The former has the better form and chance.

ALL-WEATHER BEST

Throughout the week, the groundstaff at the all-weather tracks managed to keep racing going and it was on these tracks that our winners came after Sunday.

The five-furlong handicap at Southwell a week last Thursday was a case of neighbourly rivalry as Scorton trainer David Barker won with Whinhill House, Robert Winston up, beating Pawaan, ridden and trained at Brompton on Swale by Ann Stokell.

Karl Burke sent He's A Rocket down to Wolverhampton's Monday banded meeting to win.

Mel Brittain had gone a long time without a winner, but listened to young rider Daniel Tudhope, who said Aboustar needed another furlong. He sent the five-year-old to Southwell's banded meeting and the lad duly partnered him to win.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Southwell AW: Whinhill House (trained by D Barker, at Scorton; owned by J J Crosier), ridden by R Winston.

Friday. - No DST area winners at Sandown, Fakenham or Wolverhampton AW.

Saturday. - Haydock: Mephisto (H Johnson, Crook; A & G Wylie), T Murphy; Akilak (H Johnson; Ada Partnership), T Dobbin.

Uttoxeter: Impulsive Bid (J O'Keeffe, Coverham; Only For Fun Partnership), P Robson; Ossmoses (D Forster, Redworth; Mrs J Foran), R McGrath; Dancing Partner (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; N Gravett), Mr T Greenall.

Sunday. - Towcester: Pay Attention (T Easterby, Great Habton; Ryedale Partnship No 6), D O'Meara.

Monday. - Wolverhampton AW (banded): He's A Rocket (K Burke, Wensley; Spigot Lodge Partnership), F Norton.

Tuesday. - Southwell AW (banded): Aboustar (M Brittain, Warthill; trainer), D Tudhope (claiming 5lb allowance).

Wednesday. - No DST area winners at Lingfield.