FERDY MURPHY'S stable continued its recent good run at Catterick on Saturday when Looking Forward captured the feature race on the card, the Watt Racecourse Supplies Handicap Chase.

In a dramatic finale to the contest, Ferdy's seven-year-old appeared as if he would have to settle for second spot as the Mary Reveley-trained Hunters Creek stormed clear in the home straight.

Unfortunately for jockey Alan Dempsey, Hunters Creek fired the hapless rider skywards with an almighty blunder at the last fence, handing the £6,000 event on a plate to Looking Forward.

Murphy was otherwise engaged at Aintree saddling Ballinclay King and Luzcadou but the breeder of Looking Forward, former Middeham handler Steve Kettlewell, was on hand to greet the West Witton-trained winner.

"Looking Forward is a half-brother to a very useful horse called Bank Account, " said Steve.

"He's got a long way to go before being as good as him, but now that his jumping has got better there's every chance he'll improve a bit more."

George Moore's promising young jumper, Argento, was another to benefit from the departure of one of his main rivals when recording a facile success in the Leyburn Novices Chase.

Argento was happily swinging along on the coat tails of Through The Rye, who then took it upon himself to take the fourth fence by its roots, leaving Russ Garritty's mount to score unchallenged.

"He's too keen for his own good, but Russ says he is still a big baby and one day Argento is going to be a really good horse," said Moore.

"We'll keep him low key at the moment and try to give him some more experience over fences in the future."

Racecourse director, Peter Hill-Walker, who is also the chairman of Redcar racecourse, had cause for cheer when the gelding he part-owns, Maunby Rocker, gained a hard-fought victory over fellow Middleham raider, Reno, in the Brompton Juvenile Novices' Claiming Hurdle.

In a pulsating climax to Division Two of the Goathland Mares' Only Hurdle, Lady Netbetsports and Anne Duffield's Allegedly Red dead-heated for first place