GRITTY and determined would fit both Howard Johnson's horses and his rider, Graham Lee, who again chalked up a big double for the Crook trainer at Haydock, where the ground was more than testing.

Inglis Drever landed the Haydock Champion Hurdle Trial and Lord Transcend, the Peter Marsh Chase, both carrying Graham and Andrea Wylie's now familiar beige and black colours.

Lord Transcend was the reason the former Sage supremo has added to a string which now numbers some 85, as the Wylies were bitten by the horse racing bug two years ago exactly when he won on the corresponding card.

The eight-year-old had been off the track for about a year since winning a novice chase at Ayr in November 2003, but returned looking good to be fourth in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup this season.

The grey was too excited at Wetherby last time out and fell, but landed the Peter Marsh in impressive fashion, beating the French runner First Gold by a comprehensive eight lengths, jumping well out of the mud. Johnson said he might run in the Scottish National, but not the Aintree version this year and certainly not at the Cheltenham Festival.

Inglis Drever was particularly gutsy in the Champion trial, in desperate ground, but his Festival appearance depends entirely on the Cheltenham going in March. Lee said: "No horse wants that sort of ground. He's a tough horse and a lot of horses would have shirked it."

Inglis Drever joined Azertyuiop at the top of the BHB order of merit table, the new points league this season.

Johnson said that he had taken a chance with Inglis Drever as there were no more suitable races for him until Cheltenham. Although he is well up in the betting for the Champion, now at 16-1 or thereabouts, Johnson said: "If he does go to Cheltenham he wants it on just the easier side of good, he doesn't want it heavy."

He was more optimistic about the chances of Royal Rosa, "the best horse in my yard," who is due to run tomorrow at Cheltenham in the Cleeve Hurdle. On Tuesday, Johnson reported that his star did a "serious bit of work this morning with Graham Lee in the saddle and he pleased me more than he has for a long time."

Malcolm Jefferson may have a lively hope for the Festival in the shape of Roman Ark, who won the opening Grade 2 event at Haydock. Fergus King rode a grand race, another eight lengths success, and the Malton trainer will enter his winner in the SunAlliance and the Supreme Novices hurdles.

King also won the day before on Place Above for Rushyford permit holder Eric Elliott and for his boss, Jefferson, again at Sedgefield on Tuesday.

Dominic Elsworth had a disappointing afternoon at Haydock, Chives failing in the Peter Marsh and both Patriarch Express and St Matthew falling, but a win for Chris Grant on Baron Monty made up for some of it and would also have pleased owner Trevor Hemmings, whose colours were carried by Elsworth on Chives.

Brian Harding partnered a Hemmings winner at Sedgefield, scoring on the Ferdy Murphy-trained Leyland Comet. Graham Lee partnered La Perrotine to another good win for Howard Johnson. Edwin Tuer sent out his first winner for more than a year, with Arctic Moss going in. Down at Leicester, Richard Guest sent out an impressive winner with Jericho III.

Keith Reveley is in top form. Last Friday, he took three at Musselburgh, including one for Sir Robert Ogden, whose homebred Golden Odyssey was ridden by none other than Tony McCoy. Reveley also won at Huntingdon on Wednesday with Junkanoo.

At Wetherby that afternoon, Tony Dobbin was the man in form, landing three, at accumulative odds of 205-1. For Mick Easterby, he won on Parknasilla in his second run over fences. Chris Grant provided winner number two, Roobihoo.

Third and best, perhaps, was on a revived Heidi III, winner in 2001 of the Great Yorkshire, who has returned to Micky Hammond after spells with Andy Crook and Lisa Williamson. Dobbin partnered this to land his seventh race - and the first since the big chase four years back and another shortly after the same year at Newcastle.

Tim Easterby took a double, amateur Gerald Tumelty, 19, partnering Tom Fruit, another comeback horse who missed last season. Edmo Yewkay won under Russ Garritty, who was returning from flu and gave up the rest of his mounts. Graham Lee fell from Provocative in the novice chase, but went on to land the novice hurdle for Howard Johnson, on Supreme Leader.

The Great Yorkshire has been re-named the Skybet Chase and favourite tomorrow is Ferdy Murphy's Your A Gassman. He should also take the River Don novice hurdle with Hot Weld.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Southwell AW: Noul (trained by K Ryan, at Hambleton; owned by J Duddy), ridden by N Callan.

Fri. - Musselburgh: Golden Odyssey (K Reveley, Lingdale; Hb (homebred by owner or connections) Sir R Ogden), T McCoy; Place Above (E Elliott, Rusyford; permit holder), F King; Aileron (J Quinn, Settrington; G Liles; Celtic Legend (K Reveley; Jemm Partnership Ltd), R McGrath; Bayside (K Reveley; Mrs PD Savill), J Davies (claiming 3lb allowance).

Sat. - Haydock: Roman Ark (M Jefferson, Norton; R Collins), F King; Inglis Drever (H Johnson, Crook; A & G Wylie), G Lee; Lord Transcend (H Johnson; A&G Wylie), G Lee; Baron Monty (C Grant, Wolviston; T Hemmings), D Elsworth.

Lingfield AW: Paradise Flight (K Ryan; Iona Equine), J Quinn.

Tue. - Leicester: Jericho III (R Guest, Brancepeth; P Beck), P C O'Neill (5).

Sedgefield: Leyland Comet (F Murphy, West Witton; T Hemmings), B Harding; La Perrotine (H Johnson; Mrs MW Bird), G Lee; Polar Gunner (M Jefferson; Mrs M E Dixon), F King (3); Arctic Moss (E Tuer, Great Smeaton; Yarm Skip Alliance), J Crowley.

Southwell AW: Shifty (D Carroll, Warthill; W R B Racing 39 (Wrbracing.Com)), N Brown (7).

Wed. - Huntingdon: Junkanoo (K Reveley; The Scarth Racing Partnership), R McGrath.

Wetherby: Tom Fruit (T Easterby, Great Habton; D & S Dudley), Mr Gerald Tumelty (7); Parknasilla (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Hb, Lady Bland), Tony Dobbin; Roobihoo (C Grant; Mrs HE Aitkin), A Dobbin; Edmo Yewkay (TD Easterby; Edmolift UK Ltd), Russ Garritty; Heidi III (Micky Hammond, Middleham; J McAllister), A Dobbin; Supreme Leisure (JH Johnson; Mrs Mary Bird & trainer), G Lee.