MARKET RASEN, Glorious Goodwood, both come alike to tough battler Alrida, winner of a hurdle recently at the first and successful in racing's longest flat race, the Goodwood Stakes over two miles five furlongs of the Sussex Downs on Wednesday.

Trainer Richard Fahey said before the race that the handicapper had put Alrida's allotted weight up 16lbs over hurdles "and clearly doesn't want him to win over hurdles again."

Paul Hanagan, who returned last week after a totted-up suspension of 20 days, has clearly benefitted from his enforced break, as he is knocking in the winners right and left. He won for his boss Fahey at Pontefract on Sunday and for Sandhutton trainer Lynda Ramsden at Doncaster's evening meeting last Thursday.

On Alfrida after a flip start, Hanagan found himself well in front fully two furlongs out but had to keep his mount up to the mark, as Stance came close to them near the post. The winner took some £23,200, a good deal better than most hurdles races.

Mark Johnston's Mana D'Argent (Joe Fanning), a winner at Ascot on Friday last, was a respectable fifth behind Alfrida, earning £1,000 prize money to boot. The Middleham handler's other two, Albanov and Riyadh were disappointing in 15th and 16th respectively.

The Veuve Cliquot Vintage Stakes which followed, a Group 2 race, fell to Johnston, however, with Shamardal, confidently ridden by Joe Fanning. The trainer said of his colt beforehand, 'I think he's an extremely good horse.'

Not known for hyperbole, the shrewd Scot may well have next year's Guineas winner in this son of Giant's Causeway. Eleven years ago Johnston sent down Mister Baileys to win the corresponding race, before going on to land the Guineas in his following season.

Fanning said the winner was 'the best two-year-old I have ridden.' He is himself in top gear and as well as his Ascot winner Friday, added two more for the Kingsley House team on Saturday, winning on both Mister Monet and Always Waining. Fort was runner-up to the latter under Richard Hills, giving Johnston a one-two.

Fanning also rode two of David Nicholls' four winners this week, Lord Of The East and Ballybunion, while fellow Kingsley House jockey Keith Dalgleish partnered another for the Sessay trainer.

Johnston's Guineas winner Attraction, whose only defeat was by Soviet Star, gained some further kudos when that filly slammed all the colts in the Sussex Stakes. Soviet Star beat both the 2003 Guineas winner, Refuse To Bend, and this year's colt, Haafhd, out of sight, as Nayyir and Le Vie del Colori were second and third to this Queen of the Milers.

Of the Middleham men to continue good form, James Bethell sent out a smart novice winner, Strawberry Dale. Karl Burke had a Thirsk-Southwell double. Bryan Smart and his neighbour Kevin Ryan flew the Hambleton flag with good wins.

And Fahey's cohorts from around Malton, too, had a successful week, Tim Easterby among them. None was more surprising, though, than Neville Bycroft who sent out his first double ever on one card at Beverley on Tuesday, at odds of 1,400-1, with Splodger Mac and Shotley Dancer. The Brandsby handler said he had taken two in a day at different tracks, but never on the same card. Furthermore, Splodger Mac, running in his own colours, beat stablemate Tedsdale Mac, a forecast which paid better than £188 on the Tote, £257 on the books (CSF).

David Barron and his former stable jockey Alex Greaves teamed up again and landed the ladies' race there with Oscar Pepper. For those of us who remember their invincibility back then, 8-1 was a long price for this win.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday of last week. - Doncaster ev: 6f clfd, Lord Of The East (trained by David Nicholls, at Sessay; owned by The Wayward Lads), ridden by Joe Fanning; 8f hcp, Double Vodka (Lynda Ramsden, Sandhutton; Mrs Alison Iles), Paul Hanagan.

Friday. - Ascot: 16f hcp, Mana D'Argent (Mark Johnston, Middleham; Homebred (Hb) Daniel A Couper), Joe Fanning.

Thirsk: 7f nov, Strawberry Dale (James Bethell, Middleham; M J Dawson), Willie Supple; 8f sllr, Zonnebeke (Karl Burke, Wensley; Hb, John A Duffy), Robert Winston; 6f fillies' hcp, Le Meridien (John Wainwright, Kennythorpe; Mrs S L Iggulden), Royston Ffrench; 5f appr hcp, Playful Dane (Scott Cunningham. Hutton Rudby; Ann & David Bell), Karl Pierrepont (claiming 5lbs).

Southwell AW: 8f clmr, Book Matched (Bryan Smart, Hambleton; Hb, Paul Darling), Franny Norton; 6f nrsy, Diction (Karl Burke; J C S Wilson), Mark Fenton.

Saturday. - Ascot: 10f rtd hcp, Mister Monet (Mark Johnston; Syndicate 2002), Joe Fanning; 12f rtd hcp, Always Waining (Mark Johnston; The Always Trying Partnership), Joe Fanning.

Newcastle: 6f hcp, Fantasy Believer (John Quinn, Settrington; The Fantasy Fellowship), Tony Hamilton (3); 7f clmr, Mehmaas (Ron Barr, Seamer; Cloughton Racing Partnership), Steven Harrison (3); 5f hcp, Awake (David Nicholls; Lucayan Stud & trainer), Keith Dalgleish; 7f rtd hcp, True Night (David Nicholls; Benton & Partners), Tom Eaves (3); 7f mdn, Arabian Ana (Bryan Smart; H E Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed), Derek McGaffin.

York: 5f nrsy, Mimi Mouse (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Mrs Jean P Connew), Kevin Darley; 7f hcp, Neon Blue (Richard Whitaker, Scarcroft; Country Lane Partnership), Hayley Turner (5); 6f clmr, Tancred Times (David Barker, Scorton; trainer), Franny Norton (winner claimed by David Allan for £5,000).

Lingfield ev: 5f mdn, Gifted Gamble (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Margaret's Partnership), Philip Dobbs.

Sunday. - Newmarket: 10f rtd hcp, King Of Dreams (Mark Johnston; Saeed Bhaleeba), Stanley Chin.

Pontefract: 8f rtd hcp, Wing Commander (Richard Fahey, Musley Bank; Steve Ryan), Paul Hanagan; 6f hcp, Undeterred (David Barron, Maunby; P D Savill), Neil Callan; 5f hcp, Ballybunion (David Nicholls; I Blakey, M Gosse, trainer), Joe Fanning.

Monday. - Southwell AW: 7f nrsy, Caitlin (Bryan Smart; Ekos Pinnacle Partnership), Franny Norton.

Sedgefield NH: sllr hcp hdl, Magic Box (Kate Milligan, Middleham; R A W Racing), D Costello (7) (winner bought by A Crow for 3,500gns); hco chs, Karo De Vindecy (Micky Hammond, Middleham; Racing Management & Training Ltd), Jim Crowley.

Yarmouth ev: 5f nov fillies, Smiddy Hill (Robin Bastiman, Cowthorpe; Hb, I B Barker), Royston Ffrench.

Tuesday. - Beverley: 12f sllr, Northern Spirit (Kevin Ryan; Hb, Ralph Murray), Neil Callan (winner bought by C Moore for 6,200gns); 8f hcp, Splodger Mac (Neville Bycroft, Brandsby; trainer), Jimmy Quinn; 12f hcp, Shotley Dancer (Neville Bycroft; J A Swinburne), Franny Norton; 5f clfd, Distant Times (Tim Easterby; Hb, Times of Wigan), David Allan; 10f ladies; hcp, Oscar Pepper (David Barron; Ian Armitage), Alex Greaves.

Wednesday. - Goodwood: 21f hcp, Alrida (Richard Fahey; Mark Russell & Friends), Paul Hanagan; 7f Gp2, Shamardal (Mark Johnston; Abdulla Buhaleeba), Joe Fanning.

Leicester ev: 8f hcp, She's Our Lass (Declan Carroll, Warthill; We-Know Partnership), Kerrin McEvoy.