THE richest race in Europe for two-year-olds was won by Tim Easterby's charge Somnus on a remarkable first day of Doncaster's Leger meeting for the Great Habton trainer.

Easterby took the first two races, with Somnus - once described by Tim's father Peter as being so nervous "he'd jump down a mousehole if you coughed" - taking the £200,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes under a fine Ted Durcan ride.

The Pivotal gelding has now won three of his four starts and his delighted trainer paid credit to Keith Stone for breaking in the nervy youngster and stable lass Jill Tyrell, who rode him away.

Bred by Lady Caroline Legard, the winner is owned jointly by Roger Sidebottom of Doncaster and Sir Tatton Sykes of the Sledmire Stud. Sold at Doncaster in the St Leger Sales at 13,500gns to qualify for the race, the winner scooped more than £143,000 for his thrilled owners.

With prize money spilling down to tenth place, Easterby's other runner, Cumbrian Venture - winner of the far side bunch, but sixth overall - took home more than £7,000.

The opener, the fillies' nursery, was won by Golden Nun, trained for owner-breeders Mr and Mrs Terry Holdcroft of the Bearstone Stud. Robert Winston partnered this daughter of Bishop Of Cashel. The filly had been unlucky at Newmarket last time and also at Nottingham, where seeing a bouncy castle had caused her to swerve.

Halmahera had also been unlucky several times and was beginning to be considered a bridesmaid horse. Not on Wednesday, though, when Kevin Ryan's runner swooped late and fast in a thrilling Tote Trifecta Portland Handicap.

The Hambleton handler praised jockey Fergal Lynch, who had a bad fall at Lingfield recently and decided he was not fit enough to do the sprinter justice. Darryll Holland got the ride and made no mistake. The winner is now set for the Ayr Gold Cup.

Tomorrow, the St Leger has every chance of coming home to the north for the first time since 1973, when Bill Elsey sent out Peleid to win. Mark Johnston is very upbeat about the chances of the favourite, Bandari, who has every chance. But don't forget Bollin Eric - Tim Easterby said this week that he would run well. A bit of rain might assist his chances, though.

We expected the old one-two from David Nicholls, but it was not his Saturday pair in the Haydock Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup who filled the first two places, it was a Sunday duo at York.

Mister Rambo, with Adrian Nicholls riding, beat stable-mate Loyal Tycoon, partnered by Tony Hamilton, in the seven-furlong handicap. Dandy sent out four in this competitive event.

Richard Fahey went one better, landing two races on the Knavesmire card, both General Hawk and Riska King being ridden by Paul Hanagan. The rider was celebrating his 22nd birthday and his boss said: "If he's not champion jockey one day, I'll pack up."

Nicholls' Continent was only sixth under Keith Dalgleish at Haydock, but Mark Johnston's young jockey won the next for his boss on Takes Tutu. The race was slowly run at first, then speeded up, which seemed to suit the Johnston runner. Next target may be the Cambridgeshire.

Johnston was also on the Redcar scoreboard, Kevin Darley partnering Thunder Canyon to a good win. Darley took two at Newcastle on Tuesday, Feeling Blue for Richard Whitaker and Bundy for Michael Dods.

The Piercebridge trainer criticised the course, a Grade 1 track, for only providing £3,800 prize money. Newcastle has also recently come under fire from Mark Johnston with similar comments.

New trainer Paul Johnson, a practising dentist, had his second winner. John Wainwright sent out a 25-1 winner, Landofheartsdesire, a half-sister to his useful Vita Spericolata.

Several trainers were relieved to return to winning ways during the week. James Bethell had gone a month without a win until Fittonia scored at Redcar, where Alan Swinbank ended a two-month drought thanks to Rutters Renegade. Ann Stokell also ended a similar dry spell as Grasslandik took an all-weather sprint at Southwell the same afternoon.

Bethell sent out his first two-year-old winner this season when Crathorne scored at Thirsk for the Clarendon Racing.com syndicate of 15.

Countykat at Haydock and Persuade at Thirsk added to Karl Burke's recent good form.

THIS WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Redcar: Rutters Renegade (trained by A Swinbank, at Melsonby; owned by S V Rutter), ridden by R Winston; Snow Bunting (J O'Keeffe, Coverham; Wetherby Racing Bureau 54), L Kershaw; Thunder Canyon (M Johnston, Middleham; The Knavesmire Partnership), K Darley; Fittonia (J Bethell, Coverham; Mrs J Moore), P Robinson.

Southwell AW: Grasslandik (A Stokell, Brompton-on-Swale; Ms C Stokell), T Hamilton (appr clmg 5lbs).

Fri. - Haydock: Countykat (K Burke, Coverham; I Russell), D Williams (5lbs).

Sedgefield NH: Initiative (J Hetherton, Malton; F Reay), R Garritty; Log On Intersky (H Johnson, Crook; Interskyracing.com), W Renwick (3lbs); Sorrento King (M Reveley, Lingdale; B Padgett, K Bennett & A Davies), Mr F King (7lbs).

Sat. - Haydock: Takes Tutu (M Johnston; C M, B J & R F Batterham), K Dalgleish.

Thirsk: Crathorne (J Bethell; Clarendon Racing.com), P Hanagan; Persuade (K Burke; I Bartlett), P Mulrennan (5lbs).

Sun. - York: Mister Rambo (D Nicholls, Sessay; Middleham Park Racing XXV), A Nicholls; General Hawke (R Fahey, Butterwick; J E M Hawkins), P Hanagan; Riska King (R Fahey; Market Avenue 2), P Hanagan.

Mon. - Newcastle: Moyne Pleasure (P Johnson, Stanley; Dr P & Mrs D M Johnson), L Enstone (5lbs); Landofheartsdesire (J Wainwright, Kennythorpe; S Pedersen), D Allan (5lbs); Feeling Blue (R Whitaker, Scarcroft; Manor Farm Stud (Rutland)), K Darley; Bundy (M Dods, Piercebridge; A J Henderson), K Darley.

Tue. - No DST area winners.

Wed. - Doncaster: Golden Nun (T Easterby, Great Habton; Hb, T G & Mrs M E Holdcroft), R Winston; Somnus (T Easterby; Hb, Legard, Sidebottom & Sykes), T Durcan; Halmahera (K Ryan, Hambleton; Kuwait Racing Syndicate II), D Holland