A BRAVE, battling finish, a thrill right to the post, Ryalux gave his all to scoop last Saturday's Scottish National under a fine ride by Richard McGrath.

It was a grand win for the little stable, the still-new-kid-on-the-block, Andy Crook.

The Middleham winner made a slight blunder at the last and had to come from behind to beat the well-fancied Stormez, one A P McCoy up, by a neck on the line. Ryalux supporters were hoarse from shouting him home!

It was McGrath's biggest win to date and he said: "It's nice to get on a good horse and show what I can do. To win a race like this means an awful lot."

It means the same to Yorkshireman Crook, who, although having been some three decades in racing, is only in his second season of training. Formerly head lad to Micky Hammond, he took over the reins when his boss "retired", only to be expected by the yard's owners to leave Oakwood Stables when Hammond made his comeback to training.

Crook is now in the Weymes' top yard at Ashgill, Coverham, where he has a string of about 15 - with space for more. He and his daughters - Amy, 12, and Emma, 11 - drove Ryalux up to Ayr last Friday. The trip home would have seemed an easy run after the win.

Owner William Lomas gained Ryalux when he bought a carpet company, which he later sold again, but kept the horse. He remained loyal to Crook and was rewarded by some excellent runs from the ten-year-old, notably in the Great Yorkshire at Doncaster last January when runner-up to the Martin Pipe-trained Barryscourt.

This victory gave our Fifteen to Follow a fantastic finish to the jumps season proper - before the summer jumping to come. Ryalux is sure to be the star of today's (Friday's) Middleham open day, and rightly so.

The only other finisher from our area was Don Foster's Kit Smartie, eighth and last of those completing. Fatehalkhair, Sad Mad Bad and Last Option were all pulled up.

ON THE LEVEL

Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan sent down Mystic Man to land the Spring Cup at Newbury last Saturday, Paul Fessey doing the riding honours.

Friday's Musselburgh meeting had his neighbour, Bryan Smart, with a juvenile winner in the shape of 33-1 Ali's Oasis. Paul Scallan missed the mount because of food poisoning, Robert Winston deputising.

Scallan returned to action on Saturday to ride Monsieur Bond in the Thirsk Classic Trial, but the local hero could only manage third - he will strip the fitter next time, though.

The Smart-Scallan team won later with Bond May Day over 12 furlongs.

Mark Johnston's second turf winner of the season was Jebal Suraaj, who landed the 9f Musselburgh maiden under Kevin Darley. Johnston's other jockey, Keith Dalgleish, took a double, one for David Chapman on Quito, the other for Scottish trainer Jim Goldie.

Kieren Fallon was also on the scorecard, partnering Aleron for John Quinn. Karl Burke had won two Wolverhampton sellers with Erracht and she returned to success on the Scottish grass under George Baker.

Burke followed up next day at Thirsk's first meeting when Golden Brief won under Fergus Sweeney. David Nicholls also lost no time in striking at his local track, with Sir Don partnered by son Adrian Nicholls. David Barron and Declan Carroll each added a Saturday Thirsk winner to their tallies.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday of last week. - Musselburgh: Ali's Oasis (trained by B Smart, at Hambleton; owned by The Coopyline Racing Club Ltd), ridden by R Winston; Quito (D Chapman, Stillington; M Hill), K Dalgleish; Erracht (K Burke, Wensley; P Sweeting), G Baker; Jebal Suraaj (M Johnston, Middleham; M Rashid), K Darley; Aleron (J Quinn, Settrington; G Liles), K Fallon.

Friday. - Thirsk: Sir Don (D Nicholls, Sessay; Mrs D Plant), A Nicholls; Golden Brief (K Burke; Hb, J Kelsey-Fry), F Sweeney.

Saturday. - Newbury: Mystic Man (K Ryan, Hambleton; R J H Ltd), P Fessey.

Thirsk: Bond May Day (B Smart; The Bond Girls Partnership), P Scallan (claming 3lbs); Nathan Brittles (D Barron, Maunby; S Vickers), D Mernagh; Midnight Special (D Carroll, Warthill; J Hopkinson & M Binney), V Halliday.

Ayr NH: Ryalux (A Crook, Coverham; W Lomas), R McGrath.

Wolverhampton AW ev: If By Chance (R Craggs, Sedgefield; trainer), K Darley; Blushing Prince (L Stubbs, Malton; D Thurlby) D Holland.

Monday. - Pontefract: Cheeky Girl (T Easterby, Great Habton; P Bourke), D Allan (5); Sporting Gesture (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; S Hull), D Gibson.

Hexham NH: Money's Quest (P Beaumont, Brandsby; G Frankland), R McGrath; Noshinannikin (M Easterby; Lord Daresbury), Mr T Greenall; Lee's Rosie (B Dunk; Miss B Dunk), Mr G Thomas (5); Sir Rowland Hill (F Murphy, West Witton; A G Chappell), D Russell; Classical Ben (R Fahey, Butterwick; J D Clark & Partners), P Whelan (3).

Tuesday. - Folkestone: Blackheath (D Nicholls; Middleham Park Racing XX & Streamhill), P Dobbs.