Catterick Bridge saw the head-to-head battle between the current jockeys' champion, Kevin Darley, and the past king, Kieren Fallon, wound up a notch or two as Darley took a brace while Fallon remained winnerless.

Darley won for Tim Easterby, who had another cracking week, on Muriel Hills' home-bred Soba Jones and for Welsh trainer Bryn Palling on Hiraeth, leaving him only six behind Fallon as we went to press.

All of us in the area are rooting for Darley to repeat last year's success as the first northern-based rider to take the title in living memory.

Fallon was all the rage on David Nicholls' Euro Venture in Soba Jones' race, but could only finish fifth, while stable-mate Pepperdine, partnered by Nicholls' wife Alex Greaves, got within three lengths of Darley's winner in the runner-up spot.

The reigning champion also partnered Mark Johnston's Fashionable Man to take the Newcastle opener on Monday and Kayo to win at Ripon on Tuesday.

Fallon was also winnerless at Ripon and, to add insult to injury, missed a ride in Sweden that evening at Taby, near Stockholm.

Mark Johnston won a big Saturday race at Goodwood with Falcon Hill, young Royston ffrench partnering the northern raider.

Ripon saw Abell's stalwart Star Rage only fourth in the stayers' race, but although owner and trainer had said he might retire to Darley's Yorkshire pastures, he is due to race again.

Tim Easterby had a Thirsk double on Friday, Bailieborough and Raphael being partnered respectively by Willie Supple and Tyrone Williams. Robert Winston, who is riding well at present, was his choice for his Sunday winner, Bollin Eric, another in the long winning line bred and owned by Sir Neil and Lady Westbrook.

Supple added another to the Great Habton tally at Ripon, partnering Travelling Times.

Dandy Nicholls may have been out of luck at Catterick, but Al Muallim was an emphatic winner at Epsom on Monday under none other than Frankie Dettori, who was in treble form.

However, the irrepressible Italian is some 40 behind Fallon and Darley.

Nicholls also sent Naviasky down to the south coast to win at Brighton on Wednesday, Seb Sanders pushing the Sessay raider out to the line. Richard Whitaker can count himself a shade unlucky as Pop The Cork, a winner twice in two days last week at Musselburgh under young Helen Garrett, also ran at Brighton, but was beaten into third by two very short heads.

The men from the top of Sutton Bank - Kevin Ryan, Les Eyre and Tony Mulholland - have all hit form at present. Ryan had a Musselburgh double and added to that score at Thirsk and Beverley, while Eyre took one at the Scottish course and Mulholland won at Redcar's Saturday night meeting.

Another interesting winner at the Cleveland course was Efidium, bred by Tom Umpleby out of his useful mare Efipetite and trained by Neville Bycroft.

For young apprentice Gihan Arnolda, born in Sri Lanka and now with Bycroft, this 20-1 success clearly meant a great deal as he punched the air.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: All racing is on turf & on the flat, except AW=all-weather flat racing; NH=jumps (National Hunt); *=evening meeting; f=furlong (8f=1 mile); chs=steeplechase; hdl=hurdle; Hb=homebred by owner (or one of the owners).

Thursday last week. - Musselburgh: (5f) Mystic Venture (trained by Kevin Ryan, at Hambleton; owned by T Fawcett and Mrs C Reilly), ridden by John Carroll; (7f) Salsa (Michael Dods, Piercebridge; J A Wynn-Williams), Robert Winston; (9f) Siena Star (Les Eyre, Hambleton; R Peel, J H A Hopkinson, J M H Binney), David Nolan; (14f) Manzoni (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Bodfari Stud Ltd), Sam Hitchcott; (5f) Pop The Cork (Richard Whitaker, Scarcroft; Country Lane Partnership), Helen Garrett.

Friday. - Thirsk: (6f) Bailieborough (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; M P Burke), Willie Supple; (7f) Florie Nightingale (Kevin Ryan; T G Holdcroft), Craig Williams; (7f) Raphael (T Easterby; Mrs K Arton), Tyrone Williams.

Saturday. - Goodwood: (6f) Falcon Hill (Mark Johnston, Middleham; Tweenhills Racing (May Hill Syndicate)), Royston ffrench.

Beverley: (5f) Tommy Smith (John Wainwright, Kennythorpe; T W Heseltine), R Winston; (5f) Le Meridien (J Wainwright; trainer), Fergal Lynch; (10f), Horton Dancer (David Barker, Scorton; Hb, Robert E Crook), C Haddon.

Cartmel NH: (hdl) Hard Lines (Andy Crook, Middleham; Intercity Partnership), Wilson Renwick; (hdl) Arthurs Kingdom (Kate Milligan, Middleham; Joe Buzzeo), Barry Keniry; (chs) Free (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; P D Savill), Tony Ross.

Redcar*: (6f) Efidium (Neville Bycroft, Brandsby; Hambleton Racing Partnership), Gihan Arnolda; (8f) Typhoon Ginger (Tony Mulholland, Hambleton; Andrew Lloyd and Geff Whorton), Fergus Sweeney; (11f) Righty Ho (Bill Tinning, Thornton-le-Clay; trainer), J McAuley

Sunday. - Beverley: (7f) White Star Lady (John Weymes, Coverham; White Star Racing), Keith Dalgleish; (7f) Uhoomagoo (K Ryan; Platinum Racing Club), F Lynch; (8f) Bollin Eric (T Easterby; Hb, Sir Neil Westbrook), R Winston.

Monday. - Newcastle: (7f) Fashionable Man (M Johnston; Ali Saeed), Kevin Darley.

Epsom: (6f) Al Muallim (David Nicholls, Sessay; Neil Smith), Frankie Dettori.

Ripon: (6f) Fantasy Believer (John Quinn, Settrington; The Fantasy Fellowship), R Winston.

Cartmel NH: (hdl) Bula Rose (Edwin Tuer, Great Smeaton; trainer), Graham Lee; (chs) Articaldi (Brian Ellison, Norton; trainer), Vinny Keane; (chs) Bold Classic (Chris Grant, Wolviston; trainer), Tony Dobbin.

Southwell NH: (chs) Saskia's Hero (James Hetherton, Malton; Qualitair Holdings Ltd), Tom Siddall.

Tuesday. - Ripon: (8f) Kayo (M Johnston; J David Abell), K Darley; (6f) Travelling Times (T Easterby; Ian Morgan), W Supple.

Uttoxeter NH: (hdl) Noel's Pride (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Pride of Yorkshire Racing Club), G Lee.

Wednesday. - Catterick: (6f) Soba Jones (T Easterby; Hb, Mrs M Hills), K Darley; (5f) Hout Bay (Steve Kettlewell, Middlham; Hout's Partnership), Richard Hughes.

Brighton: (8f) Naviasky (D Nicholls; Oakview Racing), Seb Sanders.