AYR Gold Cup winner Bahamian Pirate, as tough and genuine a horse as you could wish for, added Listed race success to his scrapbook in the Bentinck Stakes at Newmarket last Friday, as we expected.

Trainer David Nicholls, who again chose his son Adrian Nicholls to pilot the winner, said that the horse had been on the go since February and that in May he nearly died. He had slipped his spleen and Nicholls praised the Yorkshire practice of Minster Vets for doing "a great job on him".

Mark Johnston's Littlepacepaddocks made a brave attempt to front-run in the Princess Royal Stakes earlier, but was beaten by Henry Cecil's Sacred Song. The Middleham filly will be a better horse next year at four. Saturday saw Royal Rebel tackle the Jockey Club Cup over two miles under Mick Kinane, only to find David Elsworth's Persian Punch too good on the day.

Chris Thornton's stable star Flossy was just pipped a short head in the Grosvenor Rated Stakes on Friday and Guy Reed's Efisio filly is still aimed at the November Handicap at Doncaster, which she won last year.

The only other flat winner in the early part of the week was Michael Dods' wife Carole's Jezadil, which landed Saturday night's Wolverhampton seller under Tyrone Williams. A bizarre twist came later as the filly, which was bought at the post-race auction to go to Philip McEntee at Newmarket, was not collected by his staff. They were wrongly sent to the stable of Square Dancer, Dods' other runner at the track, and removed him. The two trainers met somewhere on the A1 on Sunday to swap the filly for the four-year-old gelding.

Newcastle saw Andy Turnell land a double, both for Dr John Hollowood, his Sandhutton patron, who has sold back the yard to Lynda and Jack Ramsden, where they will re-start in December. Turnell, meanwhile, is to move to Malton.

Dr Hollowood has horses in training elsewhere and his Beckdale, trained by Mick Easterby, was third to stable-mate Dix Bay in the Market Rasen bumper on Saturday.

Mary Reveley was also on the Newcastle scorecard as Konker won under Tony Culhane, while Peter Niven won for her at Kelso's Saturday jumps meeting, where Tim Easterby and Norman Mason also had successes.

Patrick Haslam sent out the consistent Bustling Rio to a hurdles debut victory at Market Rasen and Ferdy Murphy introduced an Irish import, Amarettoforanna, which won for the West Witton trainer for the first time since being bought from Sue Bramall's yard. Murphy's new barn is now up and he is set for his most inmates ever.

Tips for today are all at Doncaster. Mark Johnston could take the second division of the maiden stakes with Take To Task (2.30, Royston ffrench), while Bollin Nellie has the ability to land the 3.00 for Tim Easterby (John Carroll).

It would be magnificent to see John Weymes win the 3.30 with Second Venture and Frankie Detorri is an eye-catching booking, but he also has White Star Lady entered under Willie Supple. Biggest dangers are either of the two Alan Berry horses.

Other fancies: Mick Easterby's Dominaite (4.00, Richard Quinn); Patrick Haslam's Fiori (4.30, Paul Good) (note that Mary Reveley has three entered in this); Nigel Tinkler's Cryfield (5.00, Jamie Mackay).

Tomorrow, Mark Johnston has Down To The Woods entered again (did not run last week) in the 3.10, a Listed race, with Kevin Darley booked. Mary Reveley should take the 4.15 with Kathryn's Pet (Tony Culhane booked). The biggest dangers are Johnston's Mardani (Mick Kinane) and Darley's mount Canford (W Jarvis).

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. - No DST area winners.

Friday. - Newmarket: Bahamian Pirate (trained by David Nicholls, at Sessay; owned by H E Lhendup Dori), ridden by Adrian Nicholls.

Saturday. - Wolverhampton AW*: Jezadil (Michael Dods, Piercebridge; Mrs C E Dods), Tyrone Williams; Burning Truth (Ann Duffield, Constable Burton; Middleham Park Racing IV), Lee Enstone.

Kelso NH: (hdl) Hallyards Gael (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; G M Mair), Peter Niven; (chs) Red Striker (Norman Mason, Crook; permit holder), Richard Guest; (hdl) Garruth (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; M P Burke), Tony Dobbin.

Market Rasen NH: (hdl) Bustling Rio (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Rio Stainless Engineering Ltd), Richard Johnson; (chs) Amarettoforanna (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; The Diamond Ad Partnership), J P McNamara; (NHf) Dix Bay (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Mrs E J Wright and Mr A D Bairstow), Mr M Nicholls.

Monday. - No DST area winners.

Tuesday. - No DST area winners.

Wednesday. - Newcastle: Arjay (Andrew Turnell, Sandhutton; Dr John Hollowood), Richard Thomas; Shaanara (Andrew Turnell; Dr John Hollowood), Paul Fessey; Konker (Mary Reveley; J & M Leisure/Unos Restaurant), Tony Culhane.