AINTREE action was the weekend highlight, as Ascot's Saturday meeting was abandoned, and stars at Liverpool were Howard Johnson and Graham Lee.

The Crook trainer and the Yorkshire rider were in double form there and sparkled all week.

Lee partnered Covent Garden to victory in the 2-mile handicap hurdle with a gritty performance and caught the eye again in a fine, patient ride on Ballybough Rasher to land the handicap chase over the same distance.

At Catterick the day before, Johnson won with Another Dude, but chose claimer Padge Whelan to ride.

Lee won for Kevin Ryan when partnering Gralmano to a novice chase win to add to his 11 Flat races and three hurdles. His double came thanks to East Yorkshire trainer Mike Sowersby, on Maraud.

Lee and Johnson won with the improving Lord Transcend at Newcastle on Monday, the gelding's third win in three runs.

They went on to land a Sedgefield hurdle with Teme Valley on Tuesday, when Ferdy Murphy and George Moore were also on the scorecard.

Mary Reveley, also in top gear, had a Newcastle double with Man Murphy and Robbo, the latter making a one-two for the Lingdale trainer as Junkanoo came second.

Wednesday saw her three-handed. Bhutan won the seller at Chepstow, but connections allowed him to go at the subsequent auction.

Peter Savill's colours were also seen winning at Wetherby, where Sad Mad Bad scored under Andrew Thornton, and Mrs Reveley followed up by sending out the mares' bumper winner, Northern Native.

Some of our Fifteen to Follow have been in action during the week.

Exstoto came second at 10-1 to a Jonjo O'Neill hotpot at Market Rasen's Thursday meeting and should do better on better ground.

Silver Knight found one too good at Newcastle in his novice hurdle, but will improve.

Sea Drifting was third in the Sedgefield novice chase, but that was better than his fall last week.

Norman Mason sent out Red Striker - one of the Fifteen to Follow - and Grand National hero Red Marauder to a seaside gallop on the Redcar sands on Monday and both worked well.

Striker heads for the Hennessy tomorrow, but our loyalties are split as Hussard Collonges also runs. We take Peter Beaumont's young star to win, with Red Striker an each-way option.

Direct Access is unlikely to go, but with Howard Johnson's strike rate of late, would also come into our reckoning if running.

Yorkshireman Sir Robert Ogden, often the most successful National Hunt owner, looks set to capture his crown again. After Kingsmark's good win last week, Ogden's mauve and pink checks were seen winning on Ad Hoc (Paul Nicholls, Ruby Walsh) at Ascot on Friday. This is another Hennessy entry, together with Ogden's Marlborough.

Gino Carenza, Mick Easterby's rider, could take the amateur championship this season if he carries on the way he's been going. He won a novice hurdle at Market Rasen on Thursday last and came a good second on Gastornis (14-1) in the Aintree bumper.

Two other amateurs ensured Sunday northern wins at Fakenham. Laurence McGrath rode Norman Mason's York Rite and Alan O'Keeffe partnered Ferdy Murphy's Easton Gale to win the 3mf chase for the second year running.

Brian Ellison praised his amateur riding daughter Lorraine after her all-weather win on Scramble at Southwell on Monday. Next day, Patrick Haslam had apprentice Lee Enfield to thank for a win from Kavi.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: Meetings all National Hunt (jumping) except AW (Flat on all-weather); ev=evening meeting; f=furlong (8f=1 mile); chs=steeplechase; hdl=hurdle; NHf=National Hunt flat race (bumper); mdn=maiden; nov=novice; juv=juvenile; clmr =claiming race (entries can be claimed by sealed bid tenders); sllr=selling race (winner auctioned after race, other runners can be claimed); hcp=handicap; cnds=conditions race; clfd=classified stakes, a limited hcp; ltd=limited hcp; lstd=a Listed race; Gp=Group race (1, 2 or 3 shown); amtr=amateur riders; appr=apprentice riders; cond=conditional (jumps apprentice) riders; Hb=homebred by owner (or one of the owners). FtF=from our 15 to Follow.

Fifteen: Barton Dante, B The One, Direct Route, Exstoto, Hussard Collonges, Last Option, Latalomne, Moss Harvey, October Mist, Random Native, Red Striker, Ryalux, Sea Drifting, Silver Knight, You're Special.

Thursday last week. - Market Rasen: (amtr nov hdl) The Nomad (trained by Mick Easterby, at Sheriff Hutton; owned by S G Brewer & D Sugars), ridden by Mr Gino Carenza.

Friday. - Wolverhampton AW: (7f hcp) Plutocrat (Linda Stubbs, Malton; trainer), Eddie Ahern.

Saturday. - Catterick: (nov chs) Gralmano (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Coleorton Moor Racing), Graham Lee; (NH nov hcp hdl) Another Dude (Howard Johnson, Crook; Maurice Hutchinson), Padge Whelan (claiming 3lbs allowance).

Sunday. - Aintree: (hcp hdl) Covent Garden (Howard Johnson; Ada Partnership), Graham Lee; (hcp chs) Ballybough Rasher (H Johnson; Comtake-Welding Engineering Specialists), G Lee.

Fakenham: (sllr hcp hdl) York Rite (Norman Mason, Brancepeth; permit holder), Mr Laurence McGrath (7); (hcp chs) Easton Gale (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; Geoff Hubbard Racing), Mr Alan O'Keeffe (5).

Monday. - Newcastle: (nov chs) Man Murphy (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; W Manners), Fergus King (7); (hcp hdl) Robbo (Mary Reveley; The Scarth Racing Partnership), Barry Walsh (7); (hcp hdl) Lord Transcend (H Johnson; Transcend), G Lee; Red Emperor (Norman Mason; permit holder), Richard Guest.

Southwell AW: (8f amtr hcp) Scramble (Brian Ellison, Norton; Keith Middleton), Miss Lorraine Ellison.

Tuesday. - Sedgefield: (nov hdl) Tufty Hopper (Ferdy Murphy; Michael Tufts), Davy Russell; (nov chs) Jungle Jinks (George Moore, Middleham; Mrs Mary and Miss Susan Hatfield), Russ Garritty; (hcp hdl) Teme Valley (Howard Johnson; Chris Heron), Graham Lee.

Southwell AW: (8f clmr) Kavi (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Vyas Ltd), Lee Enstone (5).

Wednesday. - Chepstow: (sllr hdl) Bhutan (Mary Reveley; P D Savill), Ruby Walsh.

Wetherby: (hcp chs) Sad Mad Bad (Mary Reveley; P D Savill), Andrew Thornton; (hcp chs) Star Jack (Jimmy FitzGerald, Norton; Mr & Mrs Raymond Anderson Green), Paul Robson (5); (nov hdl) Always Rainbows (Brian Rothwell, Musley Bank; Premier Protection Services Ltd), Anthony Ross; (mares NHf) Northern Native (Mary Reveley; W J Smith M D Dudley C Raines M J Hutton), Tom Eaves (5).

* All of us connected with racing send sympathies to Norton trainer Jimmy FitzGerald, whose wife Jane, formerly a fine point-to-point rider, died recently after a long illness.

Her funeral is today at St Mary's Church, Old Malton at 1pm, followed by cremation at York at 2.30. Family flowers only are requested, but donations in lieu may be made to the St Leonard's Hospice, Tadcaster Road, York.