MIDDLEHAM took the honours for the final day of the Flat season on turf at Doncaster last Saturday.

Mark Johnston sent out three of the winners - Lots Of Love, Marinas Charm and Knavesmire Omen.

The first was a red letter day for apprentice Scott Marshall, 16, from Hawick, his first public ride and his first winner. He has been with Johnston about ten months and cut his teeth in pony racing.

Fellow Kingsley House young man Keith Dalgleish, also hailing from Hawick, has made a good name for himself, not least this summer, and he rode Marinas Charm to a hard-fought victory in division 1 of the 6f juvenile maiden.

Not, however, without a sting in the tail. This was a tape start because of the ground (the stalls would have sunk in) and Dalgleish failed to line up in the No 6 spot, taking the position by the rail. He was fined £140.

Most enterprising ride of the day was Darryll Holland's on Knavesmire Omen in the distance race. He took his mount wide to the far rail, looking for the better and faster ground. At the corners, the front-running duo temporarily joined the pack, but "Dazzler" continued on his lone course on the straights to win well.

The second division of the juvenile maiden also went to Middleham in the shape of Harry The Hoover, 14-1, trained by Micky Hammond and ridden by Tony Culhane. Hammond is already off the mark in the new jumps season, too.

The November Stakes went to Red Wine (Jamie Osbourne; Martin Dwyer), but Bollin Nellie under young David Allan put up a brave fight in second for Tim Easterby.

Veteran pilot George Duffield presented the champions' awards to top jockey Kieren Fallon and to top apprentice, Paul Hanagan, during the afternoon.

Carol Williams kept her lady amateur riders' crown despite being last of 23 in the final qualifying race at Doncaster on Friday, and despite missing 22 of the races during the two months when she was injured with a broken pelvis.

Top trainer in Yorkshire was Tim Easterby, beating Mark Johnston, and top jockey numerically at the county's courses was Fergal Lynch.

Now attention on the level turns to the three all-weather tracks and those to follow include David Barron, Karl Burke and, when January comes round, Patrick Haslam.

THE JUMPS GAME

For the second year running Tim Easterby has given our list to follow a kick start as early as possible. This year we chose his Silver Knight as one of our 15, and Russ Garritty won the Hexham novice hurdle in battling fashion on the grey at 9-2.

Moss Harvey, our choice from Malcolm Jefferson's string, won the Kelso novice chase as an odds-on should under Graham Lee. The trainer said his winner "will go up a notch now."

Jefferson has strength in depth at present and Cumbrian Knight took the Haydock bumper at the end of last week under Lee, who is in a purple patch.

At Hexham next day he won on Lord Transcend for Howard Johnson. The trainer doubled up with Bay Magic later (Padge Whelan).

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Thursday last week. - Haydock: Out Of The Shadows (trained by Mary Reveley, at Lingdale; owned by Ms Linda Redmond), ridden by Paddy Aspell (claiming 5lbs appr allowance); Donnybrook (Bob Woodhouse, Welburn; R Smith, D Hall, D Thompson, Mrs C Clarke), Paddy Aspell (5); Cumbrian Knight (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Cumbrian Industrials Ltd), Graham Lee.

Friday. - Doncaster F: Everest (Brian Ellison, Norton; I S Sandhu and Partners), Miss L Ellison (5).

Hexham: Lord Transcend (Howard Johnson, Crook; Transcend), Graham Lee; Silver Knight (FtF) (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; C H Stevens), Russ Garritty; Hard Lines (Micky Hammond, Middleham; Turner Technology Ltd), Seamus Durack; Bay Magic (Howard Johnson; R J Crake), Padge Whelan.

Saturday. - Doncaster F: Lots Of Love (Mark Johnston, Middleham; M Doyle), Scott Marshall (7); Marinas Charm (Mark Johnston; Hb, Greenland Park Ltd), Keith Dalgleish; Harry The Hoover (Micky Hammond; The Adbrokes Partnership), Tony Culhane; Knagesmire Omen (Mark Johnston; John Lishman), Darryll Holland.

Monday. - Carlisle: Mytimie (Malcolm Jefferson; Mr & Mrs Raymond Anderson Green), Graham Lee; Pornic (Andy Crook, Coverham; John Sinclair (Haulage) Ltd), Declan McCann (5).

Tuesday. - Sedgefield: Mr Mahdlo (Bob Woodhouse; M K Oldham), Padge Whelan (5); Inn Antique (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; W J Gott), Davy Russell; Del Trotter (Howard Johnson; Gp Capt J A Prideaux), Padge Whelan (5).

Wednesday. - Kelso: Moss Harvey (FtF) (Malcolm Jefferson; Hb, J R Salter), Graham Lee