IT'S the big one - the Grand Nationa sees this area with reasonable hopes, not least with Ferdy Murphy's four.

His hopefuls are Paris Pike (Richard Guest), Streamstown (JP McNamara), Ackzo (no early jockey booking) and Birkdale (Jason Maguire).

With seven winners this week in a blitz nationwide, the West Witton trainer goes into the Aintree meeting in strong mood.

With last year's winning jockey Guest booked, Paris Pike is the highest in the betting at around 16-1, but don't rule out Ackzo or Birkdale.

Another to consider is Peter Beaumont's Nicki Dee, even if off the course for nearly two years.

Third in Papillon's National, Nicki Dee has been sidelined since then and has not had a prep race, but Christopher Tetley allowed Beaumont to have a racecourse workout at Wetherby to put him right.

Beaumont comes fresh from his Cheltenham success with Hussard Collonges and will have his runner ready.

Jim Turner, who had a winner this week, runs his well-regarded Inn At The Top, another with live each way chances, particularly with Adie Smith booked.

An interesting possible by Gunner B - sire of 2001 hero Red Marauder and whose offspring are long on stamina - is Marauder's stablemate Red Ark, for whom Norman Mason has booked Kenny Johnson.

Elsewhere, it has been a busy week. Patrick Haslam's jumps wins continued with You're Special at Wetherby and Nigel's Lad at Ascot. We expect big things on the flat this summer.

Middleham-based jockey Keith Dalgleish, last year's runner-up champion apprentice, has started well as a fully fledged senior. Thursday saw him with a Musselburgh double, one for Karl Burke and one for James Hetherton.

Burke had a rare jumps winner on Monday, Arctic Challenge going in at Huntingdon, while Pertemps Bianca won at Newcastle's flat meeting to give him a double.

Mary Reveley's I Got Rhythm won at Musselburgh to follow up the Lingdale trainer's success the day before with Junkanoo.

David Nicholls, David Barker and George Moore had first seasonal winners at Newcastle. Tim Easterby and Neville Bycroft both got off the mark at Nottingham, while Ripon saw Les Eyre and David Barron take turf firsts for the year.

Mark Johnston and Kevin Darley also had a good double at the Yorkshire course's first meeting.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: Meetings 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; amtr = amateur riders; appr = apprentice riders; cond = conditional (jumps apprentice) riders; Hb = homebred by owner (or one of the owners).

Thursday last week. - Musselburgh: (9f sllr) Bressbee (trained by Karl Burke, at Middleham; owned by Breakfast in America Partnership), ridden by Keith Dalgleish; (16f hcp) I Got Rhythm (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; G Thompson), Adrian Nicholls; (8f mdn hcp) Ivory Bay (James Hetherton, Malton; trainer), Keith Dalgleish.

Friday. - No racing.

Saturday. - Haydock NH: (nov chs) Stormin' Native (Andy Crook, Middleham; Turner Technology Ltd), Richard Johnson.

Carlisle NH: (hcp chs) Occold (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; Exors of the late G A Hubbard), Tony Dobbin; (hcp chs) The Butterwick Kid (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; Robert Chambers & Mrs M W Kenyon), Padge Whelan; The Manse Brae (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Ashleybanks Investments Ltd), Graham Lee.

Towcester NH: (mdn hdl) Granite Steps (Ferdy Murphy; Mrs T H Barclay/Mrs F D McInnes Skinner), Mr Alan O'Keeffe.

Monday. - Newcastle: (5f hcp) Alastair Smellie (David Nicholls, Sessay; Ian Guise), Ollie Pears; (5f nov) Pertemps Bianca (Karl Burke; Platinum Racing Club Ltd), Darren Williams; (8f hcp) Arc (George Moore, Middleham; Mrs A Roddis), Lee Enstone; (7f hc0) Grey Cossack (David Barker, Scorton; Hb, Robert E Cook), Fergal Lynch.

Nottingham: (5f hcp) On The Fairway (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Ruth Baldwin and Jill Kershaw), Paul Eddery; (5f mdn) Tedsdale Mac (Neville Bycroft, Brandsby; Hb, trainer), Gihan Arnolda.

Carlisle NH: (nov hdl) Jungle Jinks (George Moore; Mrs Mary and Miss Susan Hatfield), Niall Hannity; (hcp chs) Bold Action (Jim Turner, Norton-le-Clay; Yarm Racing Partnership), David O'Meara; (hcp hdl) Pertino (Malcolm Jefferson; W Fouracres, T Pryke & D Willis), Graham Lee; (NHf) Island Faith (Ferdy Murphy; K Lee), Mr Alan O'Keeffe.

Hereford NH: (mares' nov chs) Rainbow Times (Ferdy Murphy; Mrs J M Lancaster), Richie Forristal.

Huntingdon NH: (nov chs) Arctic Challengte (Karl Burke; I & Mrs A Russell), Robert Thornton; (nov hcp chs) Bit O Magic (Ferdy Murphy; Geoff Adam,), JP McNamara.

Market Rasen NH: (sllr hdl) Red Hot Indian (Norman Mason, Brancepeth; Mrs D B Mason), Ciaran Eddery; (hcp chs) Stonehill (Howard Johnson, Crook; The Braw Partnership), Josh Byrne; (NH nov hdl) Sun King (Mary Reveley; Hb, Sir Robert Ogden), Alan Dempsey; (nov chs) Ernest William (Ferdy Murphy; Hb, Exors of the late G A Hubbard), Josh Byrne.

Towcester: (NHf) Tribal Venture (Ferdy Murphy; Network Training III), Mr James Diment.

Wetherby: (sllr hcp hdl) Tribal Warrior (Norman Mason; permit holder), Richard Guest; (amtr hcp hdl) Gipsy Geof (Ferdy Murphy; Exors of the late G A Hubbard), Mr Chris Wilson; (nov chs) Just Hoping (Lady Susan Watson, Bossall; permit holder), Andrew Garrity; (hcp hdl) Exstoto (Richard Fahey; Hb, J D Clark and Partners), Padge Whelan; (nov hdl) You're Special (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Les Buckley), Richard Guest.

Tuesday. - Southwell: (9f appr hcp turf) Cinema Paradiso (David Chapman, Stillington; J M Chapman), Dominic Fox; (7f hcp turf) Forge Valley Lady (Les Eyre, Hambleton; Wetherby Racing Bureau), Dale Gibson; (5f sllr AW) Buster Brown (Brian Rothwell, Musley Bank; J T Brown), Michael Fenton (winner bought in for 6,750gns).

Wednesday. - Ascot NH: (hcp hdl) Nigel's Lad (Patrick Haslam; N C Dunnington & Mark Watson), Tommy Phelan.

Ripon: (9f stakes) Simeon (Mark Johnston, Middleham; Jumeirah Racing), Kevin Darley; (6f hcp) Carrie Pooter (David Barron, Maunby; Stephen Woodall), Dean Mernagh; (12f hcp) Al Azhar (Michael Dods, Piercebridge; Mrs Karen S Pratt), Shane Kelly; (8f mdn) Shanook (Mark Johnston; Abdulla Buhaleeba), Kevin Darley