THE FOCUS is on the flat now, with this week's highlight being the Newmarket Craven meeting.

Clues were there for those who watched, as Mark Johnston came back to form with a Musselburgh maiden winner in the shape of Golden Wells. This is entered in the 2.00 at Newbury tomorrow and, if running, could go close.

The Kingsley House trainer followed this up with a Newmarket winner on Tuesday, sending down Proceed With Care to win in the well-known Maktoum colours. This was in the seven furlongs conditions stakes and the northern raider beat several fancied animals from the south.

Mick Easterby is in irrepressible form and, at Nottingham, also hinted at Newmarket success when Settle Down won in Guy Reed's colours. This may have been a seller, but at headquarters on Wednesday the Sheriff Hutton handler ran Nowell House in a valuable handicap, landing the spoils for owners Bernard Bargh and John Walsh.

Kevin Darley partnered both Newmarket successes for the Yorkshire trainers, as well as Johnston's Scottish winner. He and Kieren Fallon are tussling hard for top spot and Frankie Dettori also got off the mark at the weekend.

Fallon rode a Musselburgh winner for Brian Ellison on the useful Bergamo and John O'Groats sprung a surprise win at Nottingham for Michael Dods, where Ellison won with Picture Mee.

Patrick Haslam's You're Special, only just beaten at Kempton on Saturday after good all-weather runs earlier this year, will win on turf soon and Richard Fahey's Superior Premium, third in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket on Tuesday, is another who will not be denied again.

He has Vintage Premium entered in the 3.30 at Newbury tomorrow, but others listed include Lynda Ramsden's Mastermind, Johnston's Atlantic Rapsody and Mick Easterby's Ridgeway. Fahey has booked Fallon and Johnston has Darley - an interesting battle!

Southwell's all-weather track continued to provide a venue when others were waterlogged or foot-and-mouth banned and Bob Woodhouse, David Barker and David Barron all had wins there.

Barron was scotching rumours that he was leaving Yorkshire for New Zealand, which he had heard was even said on television.

Meanwhile, jumping continues and tomorrow is the Scottish National at Ayr.

Ferdy Murphy has Paddy's Return, perhaps to make amends for his Aintree monkey business, and Addington Boy entered. Again, whichever Adrian Maguire picks must have a strong chance.

Mary Reveley's Seven Towers is also listed and could have good each-way prospects.

Meanwhile, Grand National winner Red Marauder and jockey Richard Guest are to star by parading at the start of Perth's three-day meeting on Wednesday.

Murphy and Maguire warmed up at Haydock on Saturday, winning with Prince Highlight, and the jockey also partnered Tim Easterby's winner, Skillwise, to take the 2m 6f chase.

Micky Hammond, although retiring at the end of the month, still cracks in the winners and did so at Market Rasen with Pornic, where Alan Swinbank took the bumper with Talama Lady.

Jedd O'Keefe, Hammond's former assistant, travelled to Hereford next day to land the selling hurdle, but returned without his winner, Doodle Bug, which was sold for 6,200gns.

Wetherby on Easter Monday gave Peter Niven his 999th winner - still one away from that elusive 1,000 as we go to press - and his first win for Peter Beaumont. Mick Easterby won with Banker Count and George Moore with Premier Drive.

Top two for tomorrow at Ayr would be Ballinclay King (Murphy) and Brian Ellison's Bring Sweets, with October Mist (Mary Reveley) a possible reverse forecast choice with the latter. As ever, this is if running - we go to press before any declarations are made.

The Week's Winners

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

Thursday last week. - Musselburgh: (9f) Golden Wells (trained by Mark Johnston, at Middleham; owned by Dr Fuk To Chang), ridden by Kevin Darley; (14f) Bergamo (Brian Ellison, Musley Bank; Ashley Young), Kieran Fallon.

Friday. - no racing.

Saturday. - Southwell AW: (8f) Wonderful Man (Bob Woodhouse, Welburn; M K Oldham), Robert Winston.

Haydock NH: (chs) Skillwise (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Chris D Calvert), Adrian Maguire; (hdl) Prince Highlight (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; Mrs M B Scholey), Adrian Maguire.

Monday. - Nottingham (5f) Settle Down (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Guy Reed), Terry Lucas; (5f) John O'Groats (Michael Dods, Piercebridge; Bernard Hathaway), John Carroll; (8f) Picture Mee (Brian Rothwell; The Three County Partnership), Michael Fenton.

Hereford NH: (hdl) Doodle Bug (Jedd O'Keefe, Middleham; P Smith), John Kavanah.

Market Rasen NH: (chs) Pornic (Micky Hammond, Middleham; John Sinclair (Haulage) Ltd), Brian Harding; (NHf) Talama Lady (Alan Swinbank, Melsonby; Miss Sally R Haynes), Jim Crowley.

Wetherby: (hdl) Hussard Collonges (Peter Beaumont, Stearsby; N W A Bannister), Peter Niven; Banker Count (Mick Easterby; Mrs H Brown), Richard McGrath; (hdl) Premier Drive (George Moore, Middleham; A W Sergeant), Russ Garritty.

Tuesday. - Newmarket: (7f) Proceed With Care (Mark Johnston; Maktoum Al Maktoum), Kevin Darley.

Southwell AW: (5f) Tancred Times (David Barker, Scorton; trainer), Tyrone Williams; (5f) Algunas Veces (David Barron, Maunby; J G Brown), Dean Mernagh.

Wednesday. - Newmarket (12f) Nowell House (Mick Easterby; Bernard Bargh & John Walsh), Kevin Darley