GREY Abbey led at the start and at the finish in the Pillar Chase at Cheltenham last Saturday, a spectacular day for Howard Johnson and Graham Lee.

The trainer, who was sent the veteran by his owners, the Roper family and Norman Furness, last season, said that since Wetherby, Grey Abbey had not jumped a fence until last week, just before the race. Lee said: "He's a joy to sit on. He gallops and jumps and he'd certainly hold his own in the Gold Cup."

But Johnson said the winner would only go to the Festival if the ground were bottomless, "but he is better on a flat track, so I would like to go to Aintree, as I'm a National person too."

After reflecting on the race, Johnson said on Sunday that he was warming to the idea of letting the grey take on Best Mate et al at Cheltenham.

Lee had only ever taken one at Prestbury Park previously, but that jinx was broken in spectacular fashion when he landed the Finess Hurdle on 50-1 shock Akilak, owned by the Ada Partnership, whose black and white colours might give the hint that one of them is Newcastle king Alan Shearer.

The winner may now go for the Triumph, the trainer said. Lee said that riding two winners at Cheltenham was "pretty special". Runner-up was the Patrick Haslam-trained Yankeedoodledandy.

Patriarch Express, formerly with Geoff Harker but now a star at Sue Smith's West Yorkshire yard, won the Cleeve Hurdle, where Royal Rosa (Johnson, Lee) disappointed in seventh. Johnson said his runner "will have come on two stone for that" and he would wish to get another run or two into him before the Festival.

Lee was seen to good advantage on Ferdy Murphy's Joes Edge in the novices' handicap chase, a good runner-up to Lacoudal.

He had also partnered another winning grey the day before, when he won for Kevin Ryan and owner John Duddy on Karelian at Doncaster. This Linamix gelding cost the Hambleton trainer and connections 105,000gns when bought out of Andre Fabre's yard last year.

"He's a proper horse," said the happy trainer, "but we'll take it quietly with him. He won't go to Cheltenham, but I'll enter him for Aintree and Punchestown."

Grey was also the colour of the first winner at the Yorkshire track on Saturday, when Warren Marston scored on the Johnson-trained Kasthari. Marston donned the beige and black of Graham and Andrea Wylie to complete a double, taking the Grade 2 novices' hurdle on Bewleys Berry.

Richard Guest's rapid fire entries for Jericho III paid off as the chaser took his third in a row.

Tribal Venture took Monday's novices' chase at Kempton, Brian Harding partnering the Ferdy Murphy-trained seven-year-old. He is now entered in the Racing Post Chase at the same course and would stand a strong chance. Stablemate Ulusaba was third and not disgraced in the three-mile handicap chase later.

Keith Mercer landed the conditional riders' race on Jack Lynch at Newcastle on Wednesday. Fellow jumps apprentices also in winning form were Larry McGrath, for Richard Guest in the novices' handicap chase on Vulcan Lane, and James Davies, on the Keith Reveley-trained Diklers Rose in the bumper for the Mary Reveley Racing Club.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Southwell AW: Hows That (trained by K Burke, at Wensley; owned by D Wigglesworth), ridden by D Williams.

Fri. - Doncaster: Karelian (K Ryan, Hambleton; J Duddy), G Lee.

Wolverhampton AW: Heybrook Boy (M Johnston, Middleham; A S Herbert), J Fanning.

Sat. - Cheltenham: Grey Abbey (H Johnson, Crook; The Roper Family & N Furness), G Lee; Akilak (H Johnson; Ada Partnership), G Lee.

Doncaster: Kasthari (H Johnson; Elliott Brothers), W Marston; Bewleys Berry (H Johnson; A & G Wylie), W Marston.

Ayr: Jericho III (R Guest, Brancepeth; P Beck), P C O'Neill (claiming 7lb).

Lingfield AW: Ticero (K Ryan; J Duddy), N Callan.

Mon. - Kempton: Tribal Venture (F Murphy, West Witton; Hill, Trembath, Bryan & Outhart), B Harding.

Wolverhampton AW: Straffan (D Nicholls, Sessay; GGN Bloodstick Ltd), A Nicholls.

Tue. - Southwell AW banded racing: Danakim (J Weymes, Coverham; Miss K Buckle), P Mulrennan (3); Sir Bond (B Smart, Hambleton; RC Bond), F Lynch; Cleveland Way (D Carroll, Warthill; D Hardy), N Brown (7).

Wed. - Newcastle: Vulcan Lane (R Guest; Blaydon Racers Partnership), L McGrath (3); Jack Lynch (F Murphy; Homebred, Mrs H Lynch), K Mercer (3); Diklers Rose (K Reveley, Lingdale; Mary Reveley Racing Club), J Davies (3)