Mark Johnston took last Saturday's Ascot opener with Happy Diamond, although stable star Fruits Of Love injured a hock swimming earlier in the week and was not fit in time for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, won so easily by Montjeu.

Next day at the Berkshire course, Johnston sent out both Mana D'Argent and Saratov to win, while Tim Easterby scored at Newmarket with Careless. Johnston started Glorious Goodwood well when Sharp Play won.

David Nicholls, whose runners today and tomorrow in the various Goodwood sprints should be followed, had a remarkable one-two-three there on Wednesday. Wife Alex Greaves partnered Zuhair to land the Carlton Stakes for the second year running, with Sihafi and Pure Elegancia filling the placings for the Sessay yard. Alex Greaves went on to Kempton's evening meeting to win on King Of Peru.

Jason Weaver, at Redcar, and Tony Culhane, at Newcastle, each scored Saturday trebles, and Culhane, 31-year-old stable jockey to Mary Reveley, went on to comple a Musselburgh four-timer on Wednesday night, his first ever quartet at the same meeting.

Of the Middleham men, James Bethell got off the mark with wins at Thirsk and Carlisle and Patrick Haslam sent out winners at Beverley and Carlisle.

A computer breakdown was blamed for a rare dead heat at Thirsk, when Tim Easterby and David Barron had to split the spoils as Dominelle and Carrie Pooter were inseparable on the line.

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 *. Hb = Homebred by owner.

Thursday last week. - Sedgefield NH: Milan King (trained by Alan Lockwood, at Brawby; owned by Chester Bosomworth), ridden by J Crowley; Elsa's Pride (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Mrs M E Dixon), G Lee; Major Sponsor (George Moore, Middleham; S P Graham Ltd), J Callaghan; Glacial Pearl (Micky Hammond, Middleham; Mr & Mrs F Golding), W Renwick.

Friday. - Thirsk: Send It To Penny (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Guy Reed), T Lucas; Mickley (James Bethell, Middleham; Wwwclarendon Racingcouk), K Darley; Dead Heat, Dominelle (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Mrs Sue Tindall), P Fessey, and Carrie Pooter (David Barron, Maunby; Stephen Woodall), G Duffield; Noble Pasao (Andrew Turnell, Sandhutton; Mrs Claire Hollowood), R Thomas.

Southwell AW: Branston Fizz (Mark Johnston, Middleham; J David Abell), J Fanning.

Saturday. - Ascot: Happy Diamond (Mark Johnston; Jaber Abdullah), P Doe.

Redcar: Wishful Thinking (Nigel Tinkler, Langton; Mrs Marie Tinkler), Ollie Pears; Berezina (Tim Easterby; Chris & Antonia Deuters), J Weaver; Dominate (Mick Easterby; B Bargh, T Beston, J Walsh & S Godber), J Weaver; Redoubtable (David Chapman, Stillington; trainer), Miss R Clark.

Newcastle: Miss Equinox (Nigel Tinkler; Contract Natural Gas Ltd), T Culhane; St Helensfield (Mark Johnston; Paul Dean), J Fanning; Brilliantrio (Julie Camacho, Norton; Brian Nordan), T Culhane; Brecongill Lad (David Nicholls, Sessay; P Davidson-Brown), A Greaves; Lady Helen (Tim Easterby; M P Burke), J P Spencer.

Nottingham: Speedfit Free (Mark Buckley, Upper Helsmley; Mrs N W Buckley & Mr G N Buckley), D McKeown; Westgate Run (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; Mark A Leatham), W Ryan.

Sunday. - Ascot: Mana D'Argent (Mark Johnston; Hb, Daniel A Couper), K Dalgleish; Saratov (Mark Johnston; J David Abell), R Hills.

Newmarket: Careless (Tim Easterby; Hb, Giles W Pritchard-Gordon), M Roberts.

Ripon: Desraya (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Pendle Inn Partnership), F Lynch; Gralmano (Kevin Ryan; Coleorton Moor Racing), F Lynch.

Monday. - Newcastle: Cumbrian Harmony (Tim Easterby; Cumbrian Industrials Ltd), T Williams; Dakota Sioux (Richard Fahey; Mrs Una Towell), G Parkin; Soba Jones (Tim Easterby; Hb, Mrs M J Hills), K Darley.

Tuesday. - Goodwood: Sharp Play (Mark Johnston; Mrs I Bird), D Holland.

Beverley: Bollin Roberta (Tim Easterby; Hb, Lady Westbrook), R Winston; Erracht (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Lord Bolton), D McKeown.

Wednesday. - Goodwood: Zuhair (David Nicholls; The Gardening Partnership), A Greaves.

Carlisle: City Flyer (James Bethell; N D Fisher), R Winston.

Kempton *: King Of Peru (David Nicholls; The Gardening Partnership), A Greaves.

Leicester *: Tom Tun (Julie Craze, Elvington; Hb, Mrs O Tunstall), T Lucas.

Musselburgh *: Top Of The Charts (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; P D Savill), T Culhane; Indigo Bay (Robin Bastiman, Cowthorpe; trainer), O Pears.