IF it's colts, then Mark Johnston has been sweeping all before him. But if it's fillies, there is no better trainer of the females than Tim Easterby.

Remember Hot Tin Roof? Her owner Giles Pritchard-Gordon looks to have another good girl at Great Habton in the shape of Silver Band, facile winner at Newbury on Saturday under Eddie Ahern.

And Thirsk the same afternoon saw two other Easterby ladies land the spoils.

On The Brink took the opener under Fergal Lynch for owners Terry and Margaret Holdcroft. This filly is highly thought of in the Easterby camp and is aimed at the Hilary Needler at Beverley.

Willie Supple later partnered Freya's Dream to win - with her name to match a dream day.

She was "owned" by raffle winners Andrew and Liz Wilson from Ben Rhydding, who had pulled the ticket for a luxury race day including the thrill of ownership at an Aireborough Rotary Club draw, thanks to real owners Roger and Sue Tindall and David and Hazel Lowrey.

David Nicholls was mob-handed in one of the five-furlong sprints, and it was Hawk who landed spoils.

The Class C handicap over the same trip went to Lynda Ramsden's hot favourite, Kangarilla Road. Nicholls sent another sprinter, Further Outlook, to Windsor's evening meeting to win under Richard Quinn.

Meanwhile, Mark Johnston's Lingfield Derby Trial victor Bandari has been sold, reputedly for more than £2m, in a private transaction to Handan al Maktoum, it was revealed on Wednesday.

The 13-lengths winner is being aimed at Epsom and remains with Johnston at Middleham.

The trainer said: "The decision on supplementing him will wait until the last minute and will depend on the well being of the horse." It is understood Richard Hills will have the Derby ride.

While all the attention has been on Johnston's Derby boys, he rounded off the week at York last Thursday with a Yorkshire Cup win by Zindabad, Kevin Darley up.

Stable stalwart Yavana's Pace raced in St Cloud, France, on Monday and was in the prize money in fifth under Joe Fanning.

Saturday's Hamilton meeting saw another winning colt who could prove useful, Beamish Prince.

He was homebred by owner Hazel Conroy using two former Johnston inmates, the sire Bijou D'Inde and out of Unconditional Love.

Keith Dalgleish had the mount and also won for fellow Middleham trainer Chris Fairhurst on Mike and Diane Grace's homebred Prix Star, a Superpower gelding out of Ellingstring neighbour John and Janet Brearley's mare Celestine. It was Diane's birthday, so a timely win.

George Moore was also on the scoresheet as Valdesco took a second win in four days, Lee Enstone in the saddle.

On Tuesday, Johnston was on the mark at Goodwood with another Kevin Darley winner, but this time a promising young filly, Revolving, who beat four colts easily with front-running tactics.

Richard Fahey's apprentice Paul Hanagan earned Monday night praise at Musselburgh in a riding treble, including Conquering Love for Norton trainer Brian Ellison and Lapadar for Middleham man John Weymes.

Fahey himself had a bumper winner up at Perth this week, when Russ Garritty partnered Besieged.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: Meetings as shown are Flat on turf, except AW = Flat on all-weather, or NH= National Hunt (jumping); * = 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. - York: (14f Gp 2) Zindabad (trained by Mark Johnston, at Middleham; owned by Abdulla Buhaleeba), ridden by Kevin Darley.

Salisbury: (7f clmr) Platinum Duke (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Platinum Racing Club Ltd), Darragh O'Donohue.

Perth NH: (intermediate chs) Europa (Tom Tate, Tadcaster; B T Stewart-Brown), Russ Garritty; (NHf) Beseiged (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; Mike Caulfield), Padge Whelan.

Friday. - Newbury: (6f hcp) Silver Band (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Giles W Pritchard-Gordon), Errie Ahern.

Hamilton*: (8f hcp) Nigrasine (Les Eyre, Hambleton; Sunpak Potatoes), David Nolan.

Saturday. - Hamilton: (6f hcp) Prix Star (Chris Fairhurst, Middleham; Hb, M J & D Grace), Keith Dalgleish; (11f clfd) Valdesco (George Moore, Middleham; Keith Nicholson), Lee Enstone; (9f mdn) Beamish Prince (Mark Johnston; Hb, Mrs Hazel Conroy), Keith Dalgleish.

Thirsk: (5f nov fillies) On The Brink (Tim Easterby; T G & Mrs M E Holdcroft), Fergal Lynch; (8f hcp) Freya's Dream (Tim Easterby; Sue Tindall and Hazel Lowrey), Willie Supple; (5f hcp) Kangarilla Road (Lynda Ramsden, Sandhutton; Manor Farm Stud), Matthew Henry; (5f hcp) Hawk (David Nicholls, Sessay; Tony Ashwell), Tony Hamilton.

Monday. - Wolverhampton AW: (9f clmr) Dust To Dust (Andy Crook, Middleham; Jay Dee Bloodstock), Jimmy Quinn (winner claimed afterwards for £8,000 by J Balding).

Musselburgh*: (12f hcp) Conquering Love (Brian Ellison, Norton; Keith Middleton), Paul Hanagan; (14f clfd) Lapadar (John Weymes, Coverham; P W Lonsdale), Paul Hanagan.

Windsor*: (6f clmr) Further Outlook (David Nicholls; Mark A Leatham), Richard Quinn.

Tuesday. - Goodwood: (5f mdn) Revolving (Mark Johnston; Jumeirah Racing), Kevin Darley.

Beverley: (7f mdn) Morpheous (John Quinn, Settrington; S P C Woods), George Duffield.

Wednesday. - Worcester NH: (hcp chs) Arctic Challenge (Karl Burke, Coverham; I & Mrs A Russell), Jason Maguire; (NHf) Powder Creek (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; T M McKain), Alan Dempsey