IN the final big race of the year - the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday - three of the field of six were entered by the Irish supremo, Aidan O'Brien. And it was on two of our own area's jockeys that our eyes were fixed.

Veteran pilot George Duffield was chosen by O'Brien for the favourite, Castle Gandalfo, who went off at 8-13. Reigning champion Kevin Darley was aboard the less favoured High Chaparral, a 9-2 shot.

The outcome did not go according to the script as Darley brought his somewhat inexperienced partner out from behind Castle Gandalfo to land the spoils.

Clearly, Darley is not going to give up his top spot without a fight and he completed a 160-1 treble on the card. He opened the day by landing the Constant Security Doncaster Stakes on Falcon Hill - a Listed race - for Mark Johnston and the Tweenhills Partnership. (The winner was sold at Newmarket on Wednesday for 50,000 guineas, knocked down to Equine Services.)

The race cost Darley £140 as all races bar the Trophy race were "flip" started (no starting stalls, just an elastic tape like National Hunt races) because of the soft going.

Jockeys were supposed to line up in their drawn positions, but Darley nipped to the inside, raced up the rail and no one could catch him.

It may be that he watched George Duffield's enterprise the previous day when partnering James Bethell's King Harson to win by running alone, but this time on the stands side.

At Redcar, Darley rode a double and brought up his 150 for the season. Coincidentally, he had hit the same milestone at the same meeting last year. The racecourse executives awarded him a bottle of champagne.

Arch rival Kieren Fallon, some 11 ahead of Darley as we go to press with only a handful of days to go, confirmed on Tuesday that he and trainer Sir Michael Stoute are to split next season.

Stoute said he will not have a retained jockey and that he would still use Fallon when owners wished. Fallon moved to the south from Lynda Ramsden's Sandhutton yard - any chance of a return north, we wonder?

John Quinn has had a good season and sent out a Doncaster one-two as Fantasy Believer, under Jimmy Fortune, beat stablemate Smart Predator, Darryll Holland up. For stable supporters, the Tote exacta (forecast) paid £42.50.

Earlier, Holland was another to be fined by the stewards for not riding from his draw when he won on Indaba for Jeremy Noseda.

Holland has postponed his honeymoon until he hits 100 winners this term and came closer at Newbury when the Nigel Tinkler-trained Goretski revelled in the rain-soaked ground to win for owner Peter Savill.

Saturday found racing there abandoned after yet more rain. Holland was frustratingly on 99 at press time, other winners including Jukanoo for Mary Reveley at Nottingham.

Joe Fanning's excellent season continued on Regal Song at Windsor when the long trip from Yorkshire paid off for Norton trainer Tim Etherington, and his 68th for the year came at Redcar on Nigel Tinkler's easy nursery winner, Quantica, at 10-1.

On the jumps scene, Adie Smith made a welcome return to the saddle after a shoulder injury kept him off this summer.

He had a first win on Sunday at Towcester and added to the tally on Another Chance at Bangor on Monday for Malcolm Jefferson.

Ferdy Murphy has started to sparkle and The Quads and improving novice Weymss Quest won well this week.

Mary Reveley's run under both codes continues and permit holder Norman Mason has started well. Tim Easterby won at Aintree on Sunday with Roman Rampage, bred at Middleham by Kate Walton and owned now by Martyn Burke.

The Week's Winners

Key: All racing is on turf & on the flat, except AW = all-weather flat racing; NH = jumps (National Hunt); * = evening meeting; f = furlong (8f = 1 mile); chs = steeplechase; hdl = hurdle; NHf = National Hunt flat race (bumper); Hb = homebred by owner (or one of the owners).

Thursday last week. - No D&ST area winners.

Friday. - Newbury: (5f) Goretski (trained by Nigel Tinkler, at Langton; owned by P D Savill), ridden by Darryll Holland.

Doncaster: (6f) King Harson (James Bethell, Middleham; C J Burley), George Duffield; (7f) Onlytime Will Tell (David Nicholls, Sessay; J Hair & D Faulkner), Ian Mongan.

Fakenham NH: (hdl) Able Native (Norman Mason, Crook; permit holder), Richard Guest.

Saturday. - Doncaster: (6f) Falcon Hill (Mark Johnston, Middleham; Tweenhills Racing (May Hill Syndicate)), Kevin Darley; (5f) Fantasy Believer (John Quinn, Settrington; The Fantasy Fellowship), Jimmy Fortune.

Carlisle NH: (chs) The Quads (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; John Duddy), Adrian Maguire; (hdl) Cruz Santa (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; the Mary Reveley Racing Club), Alan Dempsey.

Sunday. - Aintree NH: (hdl) Roman Rampage (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; M P Burke), Russ Garritty; (chs) Ballybough Rasher (Howard Johnston, Crook; Comtake-Welding Engineering Specialists), Chris Maude; (chs) Buddy Marvel (Mary Reveley; Sir Robert Ogden), Jim Crowley; (hdl) Gudlage (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Lord Daresbury & the Hon Mrs E Greenall), Richard McGrath.

Monday. - Windsor: (5f) Regal Son (Tim Etherington, Norton; Mrs Y Brierley), Joe Fanning.

Bangor NH: (hdl) Another Chance (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; North South Partnership), Adie Smith.

Tuesday. - Cheltenham NH: (hdl) Wemyss Quest (Ferdy Murphy; Four Blokes), Adrian Maguire.

Nottingham: (8f) Greenaway Bay (Karl Burke, Coverham; Asterlane Ltd), Chris Catlin; Junkanoo (Mary Reveley; Hb, Lucayan Stud), Darryll Holland.

Redcar: (11f) Bold Amusement (Scott Cunningham, Hutton Rudby; Mrs Ann Bell), David Allan; (6f) Quantica (Nigel Tinkler; Quantica Owners Group), Joe Fanning.

Wednesday. - No D&ST area winners.

l Catterick's final meeting on the Flat this year takes place on Tuesday, when racing is due to commence at 1.20