GAELIC STORM revisited Newbury on Friday to take the sprint handicap for the second time in three years - and last year he was only beaten a short head.

Darryll Holland, who had the ride on the Mark Johnston-trained winner, said: "He is my favourite horse. He is thoroughly genuine and all he needs is soft ground and a helter-skelter gallop."

Up at Doncaster, Take To The Task under Royston ffrench was second to a Cecil runner, Aldebaran, and rewarded each way backers at 11-1. Nigel Tinkler's Cryfield was also second later and should make amends this weekend - see below.

Saturday at the Yorkshire course saw Down To The Woods under champion elect Kevin Darley beaten just a short head in the Listed race by Barry Hills' Shaard.

Darley, going great guns towards his first championship, landed a double at Redcar on Tuesday to amass 151 for the year (148 for the turf season).

Tony Culhane, the north's second most successful rider, reached 81 at the seaside track with a double. He partnered Blenheim Terrace for Bill Tinning to win after a break from flat racing of 1,124 days and followed up for his regular boss Mary Reveley on Angus-G. Culhane needed just five more to equal his previous best tally.

Joe Fanning has passed the 50 mark for the turf season, including an all-weather Johnston double at Wolverhampton on Saturday.

Patrick Haslam is in cracking form and You're Special followed up a Thursday Newcastle victory with a win at Nottingham.

Today's tips. - At Newmarket, Kevin Darley has been booked by Mark Johnston for Turku in the 2.30 and may well prevail. Nigel Tinkler runs Cryfield in the 5.20 and should succeed.

Wetherby may well see all the card go to locals: 2.15, Highland Tracker (Ferdy Murphy, J P McNamara); 2.45, Simply Gifted (Tim Easterby, Russ Garritty); 3.20, Double Blade (Mary Reveley, Peter Niven); 3.55, Grimaldi Lad (Micky Hammond, Brian Harding); 4.30, Mulkev Prince (Howard Johnson, Wilson Renwick); 5.00, Pretty Obvious (Reveley, Niven).

Tomorrow, Kevin Darley may give Mark Johnston a Newmarket double with Riberac (4.05) and Love Everlasting (4.40), while earlier Darryll Holland is booked for Double Honour in the Zetland Stakes. A treble might be on the cards for Johnston. At Wetherby, Micky Hammond should win again with Heidi III.

Sad news has come this week of the death after a long illness of Derek Wright, the owner, with his wife Isobel, of Sugarfoot and Sacre D'Or, both trained by Nigel Tinkler.

The legendary Sea Pigeon, trained by Peter Easterby during the 1970s and 80s, has died at his retirement home, Polly Perkins' Etchingham Stud, at the age of 30. He landed the Ebor, two Chester Cups and two Champion Hurdles in his glittering career.

All The Winners

National Hunt (jumps) meetings are indicated by NH, all-weather flat, by AW. Other meetings are all flat meetings, turf. Evening meetings marked by an asterix *. Chs = steeplechase; Hdl = hurdles race; NHf = NH flat race/bumper. Hb = Homebred by owner.

Thursday last week. - Newcastle: Tomasino (trained by Mark Johnston, at Middleham; Hb, owned by P D Savill), ridden by Kevin Darley; Time Maite (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; T Beston & B Baugh), P Hanagan; You're Special (P Haslam, Middleham; L Buckley), D McKeown; Bowlers Boy (J Quinn, Malton; Bowlers Racing), K Darley; Archie Babe (J Quinn; Mrs K Mapp), K Darley; Oriole (Don Enrico Incisa, Coverham; trainer), K Tinkler.

Friday. - Newbury: Gaelic Storm (M Johnston; H C Racing Club), D Holland.

Doncaster: Borders Belle (J Bethell, Middleham; M J Dawson), P Eddery; Loop The Loup (M Reveley, Lingdale; Mr & Mrs J D Cotton), T Culhane.

Wolverhampton AW: Forum Finale (M Johnston; Mrs J Conroy), J Fanning; Luna Flight (M Johnston; Hb, J Godfrey), J Fanning; Pup's Pride (R Fahey, Butterwick; The Slurping Toads), R Havlin.

Fakenham NH: (hdl) Recruitment (J Turner, Norton-le-Clay; D G Clayton), R McGrath.

Saturday. - Carlisle NH: (chs) Ichi Beau (F Murphy, West Witton; Mrs F Butterly), A Maguire; (hdl) Le Sauvage (D Barker, Scorton; The Ebor Partnership), A Maguire.

Southwell NH: (chs) Sam Quale (B Ellison, Malton; E J Berry), W Marston.

Sunday. - Aintree NH: (hdl) Course Doctor (G Moore, Middleham; R Johnson), N Hannity; (hdl) Bustling Rio (P Haslam; Rio Stainless Engineering Ltd), T McCoy; (hdl) Moonlake (F Murphy; Mr & Mrs Neil Iveson), A Maguire.

Monday. - No DST area winners.

Tuesday. - Nottingham: Night Gypsy (T Easterby, Great Habton; T G Holdcroft), R Quinn; You're Special (P Haslam; Les Buckley), P Goode.

Redcar: Blenheim Terrace (B Tinning, Thornton-le-Clay; trainer), T Culhane; Angus-G (M Reveley; Hb, W Ginzel), T Culhane.

Wednesday. - No DST area winners