AT THE time of Agincourt, Middleham sent men to France who won a certain little skirmish. On Sunday, Yavana's Pace, one of Mark Johnston's stalwarts, also pounded his French rivals into the ground as he landed the Prix Gladiateur at Longchamp.

Joe Fanning and his partner led early on and their relentless gallop left the rest always behind them as they took the Group 3 race. Mark Johnston, away in Kentucky for the bloodstock sales, was represented by his wife, Deidre, who hoped the winner would go on to the Irish St Leger: "I hope it pours with rain,'" she added.

The boss may be away, but he has had a splendid week with winners. Victories for owner Mick Doyle came at Haydock with Lots Of Love (Keith Dalgleish) and at Newcastle with Love Regardless (Kevin Darley). Doyle hopes that his Group winner Fruits Of Love will be fit again before the end of the season and he and Johnston both watched the Newcastle race from Keeneland.

There was a Thirsk one-two on Saturday, Risker (Dalgleish) beating Scott's View (Fanning). Young Dalgleish, who needs only one or two more wins to lose his apprentice riding allowance, was praised by Deidre Johnston at Leicester when he gave Robandela a perfectly timed ride to win late in the game.

The Kingsley House yard has a good strike rate at Goodwood and on Wednesday at the Sussex course, newcomer Rajab, partnered by Richard Hills, was a winner

Johnston hopes to run And Beyond in the St Leger tomorrow, but was not sure if he would be able to fly back from the States in time to saddle his runner.

Tim Easterby sent out Pipalong to contest the Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup on Saturday at Haydock, but the filly disappointed. However, spirits rose again later as stablemate Pipadash followed last week's cracking win with a repeat. For jockey Ted Durcan, who is flying at present, this was one leg of a double, having taken two the previous day and having won for Easterby on the Thursday on Lady Legard's homebred Celtic Swing filly, Pasithea.

Mick Easterby is in a rich vein of form too and kicked off with a distance double, Cat's Whiskers winning at Redcar for a syndicate of four from Sheffield, and Cargo taking the all-weather nursery at Wolverhampton under the familiar pink and yellow silks of Guy Reed.

The battle continues at the top of the jockeys' table and Kieren Fallon pulled ten ahead of Kevin Darley on Tuesday at Leicester when the current champion served a day's suspension and the former took a double. Among Fallon's tally this week was a Salisbury win on Thwaab for Sedgefield trainer Fred Watson. Darley, although injured on Friday last, took a Saturday pair at Haydock, including on Andrew Turnell's Jelani.

On the jumps scene, Sedgefield saw Alan Swinbank transfer his top form on the flat to take a hurdles contest with Ghutan. Ferdy Murphy and Adrian Maguire produced a 20-1 winner when Millions took the novice hurdle.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: All meetings are Flat on turf, except: NH = National Hunt (jumps) meetings; and AW = all-weather flat racing. * = evening meeting. f = furlong (8f = 1mile); chs = steeplechase; hdl = hurdles race; NHf = National Hunt flat race (bumper). Hb = homebred by owner.

Thursday of last week.- Salisbury: (8f) Thwaab (trained by Fred Watson, at Sedgefield; owned by trainer), ridden by Kieren Fallon.

Redcar: (7f) Cat's Whiskers (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; The Four Legged Friends), Dale Gibson.

Wolverhampton AW: (6f) Cargo (Mick Easterby; Guy Reed), Matthew Henry.

Friday. - Haydock: (7f) Lots Of Love (Mark Johnston, Middleham; Mick Doyle), Keith Dalgleish; (12f) Pasithea (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Hb, Lady Ledgard), Ted Durcan;

Sedgefield NH: (hdl) Young Lorcan (Allan Dickman, Norton; Mike Smallman), Sam Stronge; (hdl) Ghutah (Alan Swinbank, Melsonby; J P Slattery), Jim Crowley; (chs) Call The Shots (John Wade, Mordon; permit holder), Jim Crowley; (hdl) Millions (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; Platinum Racing Club), Adrian Maguire; (hdl) Toshiba Times (Brian Ellison, Norton; Bill Batey), Graham Lee.

Saturday. - Haydock: (7f) Jelani (Andrew Turnell, Malton; Hb, Paradime Ltd), Kevin Darley; (5f) Pipadash (Tim Easterby; T H Bennett), Ted Durcan.

Thirsk: (12f) Tiyoun (David Barker, Scorton; Miss Sharon Long), Steve Whitworth; (8f) Risker (Mark Johnston; Ali Saeed), Keith Dalgleish; (8f) Sensimelia (Alan Swinbank; Leading Star Racing), Fergal Lynch.

Stratford NH: (hdl) Little Task (John Wainwright, Kennythorpe; Keith Jackson), Jim Crowley.

Wolverhampton AW*: (7f) Ron's Pet (David Barron, Maunby; Nigel Shields), Dean Mernagh.

Sunday. - Longchamp, France: (15f) Yavana's Pace (Mark Johnston; Hb, Mrs Joan Keaney), Joe Fanning.

Monday. - Newcastle: (6f) Love Regardless (Mark Johnston; Mick Doyle), Kevin Darley.

Nottingham: (6f) Uhoomagoo (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Platinum Racing Club Ltd), Fergal Lynch.

Tuesday. - Leicester: (10f) Robandela (Mark Johnston; Robert Aird), Keith Dalgleish.

Wednesday. - Doncaster: (10f) Celtic Island (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; Hb, Bill Brown), John Carroll.

Goodwood: (6f) Rajab (Mark Johnston; A Al-Rostamani), Richard Hills