AS good as gold, that's David "Dandy" Nicholls, the Sessay trainer who has now landed the last four out of five Ayr Gold Cups, only stepping aside last year for his old mentor, David Chapman, when Quito won.

Last Saturday's big sprint event saw Funfare Wane, "badly drawn", according to the pundits, strike with a trail-blazing run down the unfavourable centre of the track, leading from pillar to post and never headed.

Jockey Paul Doe said: "The horse has a lot of natural speed. He was happy to bowl along in front. I just pushed the button and away he went."

Funfare Wane, who landed the cup in 2002, is the first horse to take the race twice since Heronslea in 1930 and 31. Bred and part-owned by Kevin Keegan's wife Jean - and owned jointly by Dandy himself - Funfare Wane is as game as they come.

Nicholls, as usual, was mob-handed. The 2001 winner Continent was third shouldering top weight and Onlytime Will Tell was in the prize money in sixth. For the Yorkshire record, Fantasy Believer, trained by John Quinn, was second and last year's winner, Quito, was fifth.

Richard Fahey took the opener, the Firth of Clyde Stakes, a Group 3 event, with Golden Legacy, Paul Hanagan up. Tim Easterby and his good young jockey David Allan took the totepool Ayrshire Handicap with Young Mr Grace, an excellent run, again from the front.

Down at Newbury, Mick Easterby "wuz robbed" of a near certain win by Blue Spinnaker in the John Smith's Stakes, when Spuradich (Luca Cumani, Nicky Mackay) crossed the Yorkshire runner in the final stages of the race.

Robert Winston had to snatch up and, ironically, it was the Sheriff Hutton maestro's second runner, Jabaar under Tom Queally, who was runner-up to the Newmarket offender, with Blue Spinnaker third. The stewards gave Mackay a two-day ban for careless riding, but the placings stayed the same.

Easterby did have one well-deserved success at Beverley later in the week when his and the Hodgsons' homebred Emperor's Well struck again.

On Sunday, our attention turned chiefly to Ireland, to the Curragh, where Middleham's other top filly, Kinnaird, was second in the Irish National Stud Blandford Stakes, a Group 2 race. Patrick Haslam's excellent filly has been overshadowed this summer as the town boasts Attraction at Mark Johnston's, but Kinnaird has been consistent and reliable. Hopefully, she will land another big one before the season ends.

Attraction, incidentally, is not necessarily due to run in the QEII tomorrow, as Johnston is upset that the course has been watered. She will not run if the course is softer than good, he has warned, so the third clash with Soviet Song may not go forward.

Ayr's Thursday card saw Karl Burke, with Thunderwing, Tim Easterby, with the useful Eboracum, Noel Wilson, with the revitalised Locombe Hill, and Brian Ellison, with Artistic Style, all bringing home wins to Yorkshire.

Friday it was the turn of Mark Johnston and Richard Fahey, both as hot as chilli at present, and their two in-form riders - Fanning, on Market Trend, and Hanagan, on Hout Bay - to add to the White Rose tally.

Yorkshire owner Guy Reed was not left out either when Tony Culhane partnered Je Suis Belle, even if she is trained in Berkshire by Barry Hills.

Keith Reveley, who last month took over the reins from his near-legendary mother Mary, finally had his first winner as the boss at Pontefract last Thursday. Time Marches On, his tenth runner, scored by five lengths and at a rewarding 20-1 after young Neil Brown judged things to perfection.

Johnston and Fanning were seen to advantage again on Sunday at Hamilton with maiden winner Love Palace, another good prospect for Mick Doyle. Sadly for the jockey, whose best-ever season this has been, later had a spare ride on the French runner Sister Moonshine, substituting for Martin Dwyer. The horse fell after the finishing line, Fanning broke a collarbone and will be out for three weeks or so.

Reports that his old fellow Johnston jockey, Keith Dalgleish, was considering returning to the saddle are encouraging. It's said he is thinking of turning to jumps racing - and trainers like George Moore, who had a winner at Perth on Wednesday, will surely be queuing up for the six-footer, a super horseman.

Finally, our condolences go to the family of Sir Stanley Clarke, who died this week after a long battle with cancer. The racecourse supremo - including Newcastle and Sedgefield in his Northern Racing - was owner of one of our favourite horses of all time, Barton, trained by Tim Easterby.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Pontefract: Time Marches On (trained by K Reveley, at Lingdale; Hb (homebred by owner or connection) & owned by Mrs M B Thwaites), ridden by N Brown (5).

Ayr: Thunderwing (K Burke, Wensley; Market Avenue Racing Club Ltd), D Williams; Eboracum (T Easterby, Great Habton; Mrs K Arton), K Darley; Locombe Hill (N Wilson, Malton; I W Glenton), D Tudhope (claiming 7lbs allowance); Artistic Style (B Ellison, Norton; Mr & Mrs D A Gamble), T Eaves (3).

Friday. - Ayr: Market Trend (M Johnston, Middleham; Maktoum Al Maktoum), J Fanning; Hout Bay (R Fahey, Musley Bank; Northumbria Leisure Ltd), P Hanagan.

Saturday. - Golden Legacy (R Fahey; P N Devlin), P Hanagan; Young Mr Grace (T Easterby; N Jackson), D Allan; Funfair Wane (D Nicholls, Sessay; HB, Mrs J Keegan & trainer), P Doe.

Catterick: Leslingtaylor (J Quinn, Settrington; D Bloy), G Parkin; Secret Pact (M Johnston; Jumeirah Racing), R Ffrench; Spring Breeze (M Dods, Piercebridge; Sheridan Fabrications Ltd), D Tudhope (7).

Sunday. - Hamilton: Love Palace (M Johnston; M Doyle), J Fanning; Lauro (J Camacho, Norton; Shangri-La Racing), R Winston.

Monday. - Leicester: Platinum Pirate (K Burke; Spigot Lodge Partnership), R Moore (5)

Tuesday. - Beverley: Gifted Flame (D Barron, Maunby; R Miquel), P Makin (5); Emperor's Well (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Hb, trainer & K Hodgson), T Lucas.

Wednesday. - Lingfield (turf) Bettys Pride (M Dods; Betty's Brigade), S W Kelly.

Perth NH: Show No Fear (G Moore, Middleham; G Brown/B Watson), B Keniry