GRAHAM Lee, who broke his arm badly a week last Sunday after his double on Karathena and Garde Bien, looks to be out of action for some time and missed some Howard Johnson sure-fire winners this week, which instead went to Tony Dobbin.

He partnered Saturday's Haydock winner, Astronomic, in the familiar Graham and Andrea Wylie beige and black colours. This beat Martin Pipe's seven-time winner Marcel and the Wylies' five-year-old was only having its second start. It looks set for stardom.

At Ayr, the Wylies' Arcalis impressed in the novice hurdle. Dobbin rode a treble, including two for Cumbrian trainer Nicky Richards. Sedgefield saw him win on Julius Caesar and Dj Vu for Johnson, a good day's riding.

Johnson has Ballybough Rasher in tomorrow's bonusprint.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham, while Ferdy Murphy has Europa and, although there are some very big guns pointed at the race, either of our northern pair could run a big race if going.

Murphy is also in a purple patch, although not everything went according to plan at the weekend, with Granit D'Estruval unseating Brian Harding at Sandown in the Marathon Chase, looking in contention, and Truckers Tavern disappointing in the Tommy Whittle up at Haydock.

However, the West Witton team had two good winners on Saturday, Keith Mercer riding an exceedingly cool race to score on Carlys Quest at Chepstow and Mick FitzGerald no less substituting for Peter Buchanan, held up en route from Haydock, to win at Wetherby on Fashions Monty.

Sunday saw a Kelso double to the Wensleydale team when Mercer partnered Basilea Star and Harding, Your a Gassman. Monday it was the trainer's namesake, but no relation, Timmy Murphy who partnered Hot Weld to win at Newcastle.

Richard Guest has come back into good form again after a six-week break, a run which started at Kelso on Sunday as 20-year-old Darren Harold, who joined him six months back, rode his first winner, What's A Filly. Guest also sent out the second, Dargaville (Claire Metcalfe).

Henry Oliver rode a Tuesday Sedgefield double for his boss, on Caribbean Cove and Isellido. The young rider followed up next day at Leicester with a victory in the novice chase on Why The Long Face.

Tim Easterby sent out Pay Attention to win at Market Rasen last Thursday, another bred by father Peter, and winning under the in-form David O'Meara for the Ryedale Partnership on its hurdles debut. John Wade, the Mordon permit holder, had been very patient with Stormy Lord which had a foot bone problem, but the wait paid off when Brian Harding partnered it to win.

Mick Easterby and Tom Greenall continued their good form with a Saturday Wetherby double. The rider is a first-year student at Durham reading anthropology and is our tip for the top amateur this term.

Brian Rothwell was also on the scorecard, landing the novice hurdle with Celtic Blaze, thanks to Anthony Ross. Rothwell had not had a jumps winner for about a year so welcomed this one.

Jedd O'Keeffe sent out a third of his six-strong team at Newcastle on Monday and took a one-two with Habitual Dancer and Impulsive Bid. Keith Reveley sent out a Lightbody Celebration Cakes winner, in the shape of Cake It Easy.

The Wolverhampton all-weather course is certainly attracting better horses now it has its new surface and Tim Easterby sent down Ryedane, another in the Ryedale Partnership colours, to win the nursery there on Friday, David Allan up.

Later, Lynda Ramsden landed the two-miles plus handicap with Greenwich Meantime.

On Monday, a rare Flat runner from Richard Guest won, Les Arcs taking the extended mile handicap under Frannie Norton. Tuesday at Southwell, winners came for David Chapman, David Barron and Kevin Ryan.

Kevin Ryan sent out Halmahera for a final race, but the nine-year-old sprinter, who three times won the Portland Handicap, was only fourth.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Market Rasen: Pay Attention (trained by T Easterby, at Great Habton; homebred (Hb) by owner or connection, by P Easterby, and owned by Ryedale Partnership No 6), ridden by D O'Meara; Stormy Lord (J Wade, Mordon; permit holder), B Harding.

Fri. - Wolverhampton AW: Ryedane (T Easterby; Ryedale Partnership No. 5), D Allan; Greenwich Meantime (L Ramsden, Sandhutton; J D Martin), L Goncalves.

Sat. - Chepstow: Carlys Quest (F Murphy, West Witton; Ms L Neville), K Mercer (claiming 5lb allowance).

Haydock: Astronomic (H Johnson, Crook; A & G Wylie), T Dobbin.

Wetherby: The Nomad (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; S Brewer, D Sugars & B Parker), Mr T Greenall (5); Celtic Blaze (B Rothwell, Nawton; trainer), A Ross; Middlethorpe (M Easterby; Hb, J Quickfall & A G Black), Mr T Greenall (5); Fashions Monty (F Murphy; Hb, B Mulholland), M FitzGerald.

Sun. - Kelso: What's A Filly (R Guest, Brancepeth; The Don't Tell Pat Partnership), D Harold (10); Basilea Star (F Murphy; B J O'Rourke), K Mercer (5); Your A Gassman (F Murphy; W J Gott), B Harding.

Mon. - Ayr: Arcalis (H Johnson; A & G Wylie), A Dobbin.

Newcastle: Cake It Easy (K Reveley, Lingdale; Lightbody Celebration Cakes Ltd), R McGrath; Habitual Dancer (J O'Keeffe, Coverham; The County Stayers), B Harding; Hot Weld (F Murphy; S Hubbard Rodwell), T Murphy.

Wolverhampton AW: Les Arcs (R Guest; W McKay), F Norton.

Tue. - Sedgefield: Julius Caesar (H Johnson; J Coupe), A Dobbin; Dj vu (H Johnson; The SGS Partnership), A Dobbin; Caribbean Cove (R Guest; P Beck), H Oliver; Isellido (R Guest; C J Cookson), H Oliver.

Southwell AW: Queen Of The Night (D Chapman, Stillington; M Hill), A Culhane; Old Bailey (D Barron, Maunby; J Baggott), P Makin (5); Blades Boy (K Ryan, Hambleton; Hb, Crown Select), D Caldwell (7).

Wed. - Leicester: Why The Long Face (R Guest; J M Rogers), H Oliver.