PADDYWACK is on course to land yet another record for his trainer David Chapman after the ultra-consistent sprinter landed his seventh handicap win of the season on Monday.

The victory at Pontefract after a fine late run under Tony Culhane puts him in sight of the current handicap record of ten wins in a term, held by Madame Jones.

The Stillington handler had four of the previous record holders, each of whom landed nine. They were Chaplin's Club (twice), Glencroft and Soaked. It would not surprise us to see Paddywack join them, and perhaps even beat Madame Jones, but time is running out on the turf this term!

Lynda Ramsden teamed up with her old stable jockey, Kieren Fallon, at Pontefract and they landed the nursery with Arcalis. Fallon had a double and will be hard to catch for this year's championship.

Richard Whitaker was not surprised, even if the punters were, when Steel Blue landed the Newmarket nursery at 16-1 last Thursday under Michael Hills.

His runner had been coughing since his win at headquarters in August, and beat only one at Redcar in the big two-year-old race won by Tim Easterby's Somnus, but had come back to his best since.

The trainer said his winner would head for Dubai to winter there. Fellow stable star Captain Rio is to run on Thursday in a Group 3 sprint at Maison-Laffitte.

Saturday's Newmarket meeting proved disappointing for us, as the Cesarewitch did not produce any result.

Patrick Haslam was the best from hereabouts, Positive Profile finishing eighth having pulled hard then stumbled. Tees Components, the favourite, was disappointing in 16th for Mary Reveley, with Mark Johnston's Double Honour 19th and Mana D'Argent well tailed off, only beating two of the 36 runners.

Somnus' form was well boosted though, as Redcar runner-up Tout Seul landed the Dewhurst in emphatic style.

Friday was also thin for us at Newmarket, but the locals shone at Redcar. Paul Hanagan, leading apprentice, and Robert Winston each took a double. Hanagan partnered Janes Gem for Chris Thornton in the two-year-old claimer and nervous filly Favour for Lynda Ramsden in the fillies' maiden.

Winston won for Tim Easterby on Parting Shot over nine furlongs and for John Weymes on Second Venture in the second division of the 6f maiden. The first division fell to Lynn Siddall with Formeric, Tyrone Williams up, while John Parkes took the stayers' race with Best Port under Dean McKeown.

Saturday's Flat action was equally good at Catterick. Easterby and Winston followed up with a good nursery win from Flighty Fellow. Yorkshire owners Jack Hanson, with the Barry Hills-trained Mount Hillaby, and Reg Bond, with the Bryan Smart-trained Bond Becks, were also on the scorecard.

Three apprentices won for three different trainers - Luke Fletcher for dentist Paul Johnson, Clare Roche for Wilf Storey on consistent Colway Ritz, with whom she has forged a good partnership, and Derek McGaffin for James Hetherton, although with a sting in the tale as the lad got a two-day ban for minor irresponsible riding.

A win is a win wherever and Mark Johnston sent out Thunder Canyon to a Wolverhampton all-weather victory under Joe Fanning on Monday.

Next day at Wolverhampton, Johnston and Fanning won again with Night Shift Blues in the seller, but the winner joined Mark Polglase after the auction. David Chapman was also on the mark, with Quito.

Owner Reg Bond's Bond Playboy, trained by Smart, landed the 6f juvenile maiden under Fergal Lynch, who is in his best-ever season. The jockey had a fall in the seller from Jimmy FitzGerald's debutant Time Machine, which sadly broke a leg and did not survive.

Lynch was passed fit after hospital treatment and is due to ride at Doncaster today. Just four short of his first seasonal century, he should be good value to follow.

The jumps scene continues to hot up and Patrick Haslam's useful Fiori added chasing to his Flat and hurdles wins. Wilf Storey, successful on the level at Catterick, also won at Kelso with old faithful Weaver George.

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. - Newmarket: (6f nrsy) Steel Blue (trained by Richard Whitaker, at Scarcroft; owned by Country Lane Partnership), ridden by Michael Hills.

Friday. - Redcar: (7f clmr) Janes Gem (Chris Thornton, Middleham; Hb, G B Turnbull Ltd), Paul Hanagan; (6f fillies' mdn) Favour (Lynda Ramsden, Sandhutton; Hb, L C and Mrs A E Sigsworth), P Hanagan; (14f hcp) Best Port (John Parkes, Upper Helmsley; W A Sellers), Dean McKeown; (6f mdn div 1) Formeric (Lynn Siddall, Colton; Mrs Ann Morgan), Tyrone Williams; (9f hcp) Parting Shot (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; C H Stevens), Robert Winston; (6f mdn div 2) Second Venture (John Weymes, Coverham; C I North Racing Club), R Winston.

Saturday. - (7f nrsy) Flighty Fellow (T Easterby; T H Bennett), R Winston; (12f appr clmr) Moyne Pleasure (Paul Johnson, Stanley; Dr P and Mrs D M Johnson), Luke Fletcher (5lbs appr allowance); (14f clfd) Colway Ritz (Wilf Storey, Muggleswick; Mrs M Tindale & Tom Park), Clare Roche (5lbs); (7f hcp) Qualitair Wings (James Hetherton, Malton; Qualitair Holdings Ltd), Derek McGaffin (3lbs).

Kelso NH: (nov chs) Fiori (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Wilson Imports I), Richard Guest; (hcp chs) Weaver George (W Storey; Regent Decorators Ltd), Graham Lee.

Monday. - Pontefract: (5f hcp) Paddywack (David Chapman, Stillington; T S Redman), Tony Culhane; (8f nrsy) Arcalis (Lynda Ramsden; P R C Morrison), Kieren Fallon.

Wolverhampton AW: (15f hcp) Thunder Canyon (Mark Johnston, Middleham; The Knavesmire Partnership), Joe Fanning.

Tuesday. - Southwell: (6f hcp) Quito (D Chapman; Michael Hill), T Culhane; (7f sllr) Night Shift Blues (M Johnston; S Kimberley), J Fanning (winner sold afterwards for 7,000gns).

Wednesday. - No DST area winners. Newcastle abandoned, waterlogging