DONCASTER suits Tim Easterby, and Easterby suits Doncaster. Following up his St Leger success with Bollin Eric, the Great Habton trainer returned to the Yorkshire course last Friday to land a one-two in the DBS October Yearling Stakes.
Golden Nun, under Richard Quinn, beat stable-mate Cumbrian Venture (Robert Winston) for prize money of nearly £20,800 and £6,300 respectively.
In fact, with prizes spilling down to tenth place, James Bethell, whose Pop Up Again was fifth, and Richard Fahey, with Riska King in eighth, were also in the money.
Easterby trains Golden Nun for owner-breeders Mr and Mrs Terry Holdcroft of the Bearstone Stud and she had also won at Doncaster during the Leger meeting. Quinn was recording his 100th win this term.
Easterby doubled up when young David Allan partnered Raphael in the apprentice handicap.
Mark Johnston's Knavesmire Omen has been very consistent this season and took the stayers' race under Kevin Darley.
In the prize money behind him were George Moore's Kyda in third and Brian Ellison's Mr Fortywinks in fourth.
Fergal Lynch duly returned to form after last week's fall, as we expected, and on his very first ride back took the Doncaster opener for Sir Michael Stoute (Kris Kin).
Saturday saw a Darley double, including on Brian Boru for Ireland's Aidan O'Brien.
Brian Smart celebrated his move to Hambleton by winning again with Bond Boy, Paul Hanagan up, for Reg Bond.
Hanagan, the season's find, provided Paul Johnson with his sixth winner at Leicester on Monday.
The dentist-cum-trainer has had a meteoric start since July, with a dozen or so placed horses too.
A Darley Nottingham double, again for non-DST area trainers, brought up a remarkable landmark for the northern rider on Tuesday.
He passed the 2,000 career British winners mark - added to some 250 overseas.
Linda Stubbs with Zoom Zoom (Mark Fenton) and Kevin Ryan, one short of 50, with Countess Elton (Paul Fessey) were also on the scorecard there.
THE JUMPS SCENE
The shock news came on Monday that Adrian Maguire, one of our best jockeys and retained by Ferdy Murphy, is not to ride again.
Richard Dunwoody called him "the best jockey not to have been champion" and Racing Week could find no better tribute to the tough Irishman.
He broke a vertebra in his neck last March in a fall from Luzcadou and spent months in a neck brace after surgery.
The Jockey Club chief medical adviser, Dr Michael Turner, told 31-year-old Maguire that he could not be passed fit to ride again and the popular rider has been forced to retire.
All the hearts of northern jumps fans will go out to him and we can only wish him well.
For Murphy, this was "a big blow". Since Maguire's injury, JP McNamara has had the temporary post as top jockey to the West Witton yard and looks set to continue.
Amateur Alan O'Keeffe, off with a broken hand just now, will also have the chance to shine in due course.
Mick Easterby and his amateur, young Gino Carenza, are in sparkling form jumps-wise. The Sheriff Hutton handler took a Haydock mares' race with novice hurdler Johnson's Point last Thursday.
Malcolm Jefferson and his jockey Graham Lee are also in a purple patch.
They headed all the way from Norton to Norfolk to land both the novice chase, with the well-regarded Moss Harvey, and the novice hurdle, Rutledge Red bringing up a hat-trick.
Howard Johnson won at Carlisle with Log On Intersky, Wilson Renwick up, and Geoff Harker took the Cheltenham bumper with Patriarch Express, following up a Perth win last time partnered by claimer Niall Hannity.
The northern raider may well return to Prestbury Park for another valuable race at the next meeting.
THE WEEK'S WINNERS
Key: Meetings as shown are Flat on turf, except AW = Flat on all-weather, or NH= National Hunt (jumping); 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).
Thursday last week. - Haydock: (mares' nov hdl) Johnson's Point (trained by Mick Easterby, at Sheriff Hutton; owned by J W P Curtis), ridden by Mr Gino Carenza (claiming 7lbs allowance).
Friday. - Doncaster: (6f Class B) Golden Nun (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Hb, T G & Mrs M E Holdcroft), Richard Quinn; (14f hcp) Knavesmire Omen (Mark Johnston, Middleham; The Knavesmire Partnership), Kevin Darley; (7f appr hcp) Raphael (Tim Easterby; Mrs K Arton), David Allan.
Fakenham NH: (nov chs) Moss Harvey (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Hb, J R Salter), Graham Lee; Inov hdl) Rutledge Red (Malcolm Jefferson; Ashleybank Investments Ltd), Graham Lee.
Saturday. - Doncaster: (5f rtd) Bond Boy (Brian Smart, Hambleton; R C Bond), Paul Hanagan.
Carlisle NH: (nov hcp chs) Log On Intersky (Howard Johnson, Crook; Interskyracing.com), Wilson Renwick (3lbs).
Monday. - Leicester: (7f cnds) Sarraaf (Paul Johnson, Stanley; Gordon McDowall), Paul Hanagan.
Tuesday. - Nottingham: (5f mdn) Zoom Zoom (Linda Stubbs, Malton; Des Thurlby), Mark Fenton; (8f sllr) Countess Elton (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Hb, Thomas Docherty), Paul Fessey.
Wednesday. - Cheltenham NH: (NFf) Patriarch Express (Geoff Harker, Wensley; Hb, A P Muir), Niall Hannity (3lbs)
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