THE heat is on, with champion Kevin Darley and former champ Kieren Fallon locked in battle for this year's title.

Fallon passed the 100 mark on Wednesday last week, but Darley won't give up easily and is just a handful behind.

His pillar-to-post win for Mark Johnston on Riberac, the tough five-year-old mare bred by owners Mr and Mrs G Middlebrook, in last Thursday's William Hill Mile at Glorious Goodwood was vintage Darley. Noted in third was Karl Burke's Little Amin, which should win again soon.

In a welcome return to racing after the five months break because of foot-and-mouth, Catterick saw Darley in treble form on Tuesday - what a shame the weather broke before the meeting. He won on David Abell's Penny Pictures for Johnston and added a Mary Reveley double.

Goodwood saw David Nicholls land the Stewards' Sprint Handicap as expected on Friday, but with last year's victor, Flak Jacket, not stable-mate Zuhair, who was only ninth.

Saturday was all a Tim Easterby story, as Guinea Hunter landed the Vodafone Stewards' Cup at Goodwood, while Hot Tin Roof took the European Breeders Fund Fillies' Conditions Stakes at Newmarket. This was an easy race for the Great Habton filly, and an ideal preparation for Sunday's Prix Maurice de Gheest.

In slightly less exalted company, Easterby landed the maiden opener at Thirsk with the odds-on favourite Fayr Jag, well driven out by John Carroll. This was the two-year-old's first run since his debut at Thirsk three months back - he has had a blood disorder since.

Easterby also had another good youngster win at Pontefract, White Rabbit being partnered by Willie Supple.

Johnston's wins were not only down to Kevin Darley, as Joe Fanning, who is in excellent form at present, added an excellent win at Newbury's Sunday meeting on Love Everlasting, another home-bred by the Middlebrooks.

At Newcastle, Fanning added a Johnston double, Fight Your Corner and Danton, having also won at Ripon between times for Mark Buckley.

Karl Burke has been winning on the flat, none other than Fallon taking a Ripon win for him, and over the sticks, while Alan Swinbank, the Melsonby trainer, has also recently hit top form.

Jockey Jim Crowley, newly moved to our area, partnered two of his jumps winners in a Sedgefield treble last Thursday.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: All meetings are Flat on turf, except: NH = National Hunt (jumps) meetings; and AW = all-weather flat racing. * = evening meeting. f = furlong (8f = 1mile); chs = steeplechase; hdl = hurdles race; NHf = National Hunt flat race (bumper). Hb = homebred by owner.

Thursday last week. - Goodwood: (8f) Riberac (trained by Mark Johnston, at Middleham; Hb, owned by Mr & Mrs G Middlebrook), ridden by Kevin Darley.

Sedgefield NH: (hdl) Ghutah (Alan Swinbank, Melsonby; J P Slattery), Jim Crowley; (chs) Specialize (Karl Burke, Coverham; P A Brazier), J M Maguire; (hdl) Familie Footsteps (Alan Swinbank; Hb, Miss Angela H Sykes), Jim Crowley.

Friday. - Goodwood: (6f) Flak Jacket (David Nicholls, Sessay; The Knavesmire Alliance), Darryll Holland.

Thirsk: (6f) Euro Venture (David Nicholls; W G Swiers), Seb Sanders; (7f) Kuwait Thunder (Les Eyre, Hambleton; The Flowerpot Men), D Allen.

Nottingham*: (9f) Zagaleta (Andrew Turnell, Malton; Dr John Hollowood), My Nicky Tinkler; (5f) Soaked (David Chapman; trainer), G Sparkes.

Saturday. - Goodwood: (6f) Guinea Hunter (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; M P Burke), Jamie Spencer.

Newmarket: (6f) Hot Tin Roof (Tim Easterby; Giles W Pritchard-Gordon), Michael Roberts.

Thirsk: (5f) Fayr Jag (Tim Easterby; T E F Freight (Scarborough) Ltd), John Carroll; (6f ladies) Upper Chambers (Jimmy FitzGerald, Malton; trainer), Miss Annie Elsie; (5f) Mitsuki (James Bethell, Middleham; John E Lund), Joanna Badger; (12f) Sporting Gesture (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Steve Hull), Sam Hitchcott.

Sunday. - Chester: (6f) Vita Spericolata (John Wainwright, Kennythorpe; : The Blue Check Partnership), Gary Carter.

Newbury: (12f) Love Everlasting (Mark Johnston; Hb, : Mr & Mrs G Middlebrook), Joe Fanning.

Market Rasen NH: (hdl) Terdad (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; Tremousser Partnership), Alan Dempsey.

Monday. - Ripon: (5f) High Esteem (Mark Buckley, Upper Helmsley; Mrs N W & G N Buckley),

Joe Fanning; (6f) Million Percent (Karl Burke; Platinum Racing Club Ltd), Kieren Fallon.

Tuesday. - Catterick: (7f) Penny Pictures (Mark Johnston; J David Abell), Kevin Darley; (15f) I Got Rhythm (Mary Reveley; J Shack), Kevin Darley; (7f) Encounter (James Hetherton, Malton; Qualitair Holdings Ltd), D McGaffin; (13f) Maceo (Mary Reveley; Les de la Haye), Kevin Darley; (11f) Mindanao (Julie Camacho, Malton; Mrs S Camacho), Tony Culhane.

Wednesday. - Newcastle: (6f) Fight Your Corner (Mark Johnston; Greenlands Park Ltd), Joe Fanning; (7f) Eyes To The Right (Lynda Ramsden, Sandhutton; Swisspartners), Robert Winston; (9f) Danton (Mark Johnston; The Barbarians, Middleham), Joe Fanning; Redoubtable (David Chapman, Stillington; trainer), Keith Dalgleish.

Pontefract: (5f) Storyteller (Michael Dods, Piercebridge; Mrs Karen S Pratt), Michael Roberts; (6f) White Rabbit (T Easterby; Hb, Lord Halifax), Willie Supple; (12f) Middlethorpe (M Easterby; bred by Alan Black & Co & trainer, owned by J H Quickfall & A G Black ), Terry Lucas; (8f) Celtic Mill (David Barker, Scorton; Hb, Peter Asquith), Lee Newman