THERE were wild Irish celebrations as the connections of the Scart Stud, breeders and owners of Function Dream, greeted their mare back to the winners circle at Ascot on Saturday.

Mary Reveley had worked the oracle and young Anthony Ross was seen at his very best on the Lingdale winner, landing the Victor Chandler Chase, a grade 2 event.

Ross, 23, had carefully walked the course first for his debut Ascot ride and the homework paid off as Function Dream won like a favourite. This was the biggest career win for the conditional rider, still claiming 3lbs, and he called it "unbelievable".

Mrs Reveley, however, was not in the south. She was up at Newcastle to welcome home Seven Towers, bringing Peter Niven nearer to his 1,000th career winner.

The winner will probably contest the Tote Northern National at Newcastle next month, a race he won four years back.

Leading permit holder Norman Mason was at Ascot to watch Red Ark in the Victor Chandler, but he was a disappointing eighth and last of the finishers.

But at Newcastle his Red Striker, under assistant and stable jockey Richard Guest, trounced all his rivals and won the Dipper Novices' Chase, another grade 2 race, at a rewarding 11-1.

Ballinclay King (Ferdy Murphy) and Simply Gifted (Tim Easterby) were better fancied, but the former made a mistake three out and the latter found the trip too far. Murphy's runner is still on course for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Tim Easterby had a Saturday winner at Warwick, Rum Pointer landing the spoils as an odds on chance should.

Malcolm Jefferson is also aiming his Newcastle winner, Dibea Times, at Cheltenham, for the Champion or the Supreme Novices', while Mick Easterby's NH flat winner Real Shady may head for the bumper at the Grand National meeting as owner Lord Daresbury is chairman of Aintree.

Kate Walton had a win with her own Roman Uproar, which she bred out of the mare given her by the late Capt Neville Crump, a first win this term for the Middleham permit holder.

Mary Reveley is unstoppable altogether and had a Wetherby double, the first leg of which, Bramble Fair, gave 19-year-old Tom Eaves a first winner over jumps. The second was a facile victory for Konker, again partnered by amateur Brian Murphy.

At the Yorkshire course, Ferdy Murphy's Streamstown won the handicap chase and the West Witton trainer is thinking of the Tote Northern National.

Behind him were Tullymurry Toff (Malcolm Jefferson), who may now contest the Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster, and Young Kenny (Peter Beaumont), building up well for his Grand National entry. He may go first to the Singer & Friedlander Chase at Uttoxeter, which he won last year.

Musselburgh on Friday saw Niven give Mary Reveley a double, while Monday saw the Reveley-Ross team strike again at Doncaster.

Jedd O'Keefe, who formerly worked with Micky Hammond, set up in his own right last July and we forecast that Route Sixty Six should give him a first win - but never expected it to take until January. Adie Smith partnered O'Keefe's winner at Musselburgh.

Noted earlier was the stable-mate, Tweed, who was fourth and is due to run tomorrow at Catterick - this could win.

His former boss Hammond won at Wetherby with Ryalux and neighbour George Moore won at Doncaster with Iron Express.

On the level, Patrick Haslam has had another fruitful week. Lady Kitson's Dun Distinctly, one of Haslam's several successes, may now revert to hurdling.

David Barron sent out Blakeset to win at Wolverhampton in a final UK fling. He was watched by Michael Dickinson, former Yorkshire trainer, who will now train Blakeset at his US base.

Amateur Annie Elsie won for both John Parkes and Andrew Turnell at Southwell, where Don Enrico Incisa sent out Pickens to win on the track he loves well.

Lingfield was delayed half an hour on Wednesday because of frost and was the only UK meeting. Pat The Builder won for Karl Burke, who is moving to Middleham from Newmarket and now counts as "one of ours".

From the sand slightly farther away, news comes that apprentice Keith Dalgleish, who shone last year and is wintering in the United Arab Emirates, rode a double and had his claim reduced to 3lbs.

ALL THE WINNERS

All meetings in the UK are now National Hunt (jumps) meetings except for all-weather flat, AW. Chs = steeplechase; Hdl = hurdles race; NHf = NH flat race/bumper. Hb = Homebred by owner.

Thursday last week. - Wetherby: (hdl) Bramble Fair (trained by Mary Reveley, at Lingdale; owned by Mrs K Quinn), ridden by Tom Eaves; (chs) Meadowbank (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Lord Manton), Russ Garritty; (hdl) Dix Bay (Mick Easterby; Mrs E J Wright and Mr A D Blairstow), Tony Dobbin; (chs) Streamstown (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; Haydock Park National Hunt Partnership), Adrian Maguire; (chs) Ryalux (Micky Hammond, Middleham; William Lomax), Brian Harding; (hdl) Konker (Mary Reveley; J & M Leisure/Unos Restaurant), Mr Brian Murphy.

Wolverhampton AW: (6f) Blakeset (David Barron, Maunby; Nigel Sheields), Dean Mernagh.

Friday. - Musselburgh: (hdl) Shrivar (Mary Reveley; P D Savill), Peter Niven; (hdl) Route Sixty Six (Jedd O'Keefe, Middleham; Wetherby Racing Bureau), Adie Smith; (hdl) Sushi Bar (Mary Reveley; Tremousser Partnership), Peter Niven; (chs) Latalomne (Brian Ellison, Malton; T Alderson), Tony Dobbin; (hdl) Clear Dawn (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Mr & Mrs J M Davenport), Graham Lee.

Southwell AW: (11f amateur Div 1) Genuine John (John Parkes, Malton; Mrs G M Z Spink), Miss Annie Elsie; (div 2) Susan's Dowry (Andrew Turnell, Malton; Mrs Claire Hollowood), Miss Annie Elsie; (8f) Amjad (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Mrs B Hawkins), Stan Finnamore; (16f) Pickens (Don Enrico Incisa, Middleham; trainer), Kim Tinkler.

Saturday. - Ascot: (chs) Funtion Dream (Mary Reveley; Hb (Mrs Noreen Walsh), Scart Stud), Anthony Ross.

Warwick: (hdl) Rum Pointer (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; M P Burke), Richard Thornton.

Newcastle: hdl) Dibea Times (Malcolm Jefferson; Mr & Mrs Raymond Anderson Green), Graham Lee; (chs) Seven Towers (Mary Reveley; Mrs E A Murray), Peter Niven; (hdl) Roman Uproar (Kate Walton, Middleham; Hb, permit holder), Brian Harding; (chs) Red Striker (Norman Mason, Crook; permit holder), Richard Guest; (NHf) Real Shady (Mick Easterby; Lord Daresbury), Tony Dobbin.

Monday. - Doncaster: (hdl) Iron Express (George Moore, Middleham; David Parker), Niall Hannity; (chs) Smart Spirit (Mary Reveley; Mrs Stephanie Smith), Anthony Ross.

Southwell AW: (12f) Dun Distinctly (Patrick Haslam; Lady Kitson), Lee Enstone.

Tuesday. - Wolverhampton AW: (12f) China Castle (Patrick Haslam; Middleham Park Racing I & Others), Stan Finnamore; (6f) Pup's Pride (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; The Slurping Toads), Jason Weaver.

Wednesday. - Lingfield AW: (5f) Pat The Builder (Karl Burke; James Ryan), Neil Callan.