HE'D been knocking at the door in recent races and last Thursday saw Noshinannikin land a Huntingdon win for our Twelve to Follow.

More importantly, it was a first winner at the course for trainer Mick Easterby. Richard McGrath had the ride and it looked as if there will be more to come from the winner.

Also on the mark there were Malcolm Jefferson, whose Another Chance beat the Queen Mother's runner, First Love, and Mary Reveley, whose recent run of form saw Hidden Bounty add to her tally.

Alan Dempsey partnered that one and also had the mount next day on Kempton winner Colourful Life, last week's Newcastle winner landing some £10,000 in this showcase handicap.

Saturday's Kempton meeting was not so successful for us in the north. Red Ark did not run for Norman Mason in the opener, but Ferdy Murphy's Ichi Beau was a reasonable second to raise hopes for the Racing Post Chase later.

Adrian Maguire re-routed from Haydock, which was off, to partner that one, Thosewerethedays, which pulled up in the next, and Occold in the big race.

Murphy had said last week he hoped Occold would not get upset by the pre-race parade. Alas, the talented West Witton runner became agitated in the paddock, broke free, reared up and fell over on his back. Although Maguire got him to the start, he was well tailed off when pulled up.

Murphy's other runner, Luzcadou, was partnered by JP McNamara, who was unfortunately unseated at only the fourth. The horse ran on jockeyless and actually passed the post first, having put in a good jumps round and aiding the winner, Gunther McBride, by giving him something to race with!

Our other great hope, Mason's Red Striker, was pulled up by Richard Guest early on.

Murphy's runners will have travelled south before the Friday night blizzard hit the Middleham area and at Musselburgh, Andy Crook said his winner, Tee-Jay, was the only Middleham horse to make it to the Scottish course. He had preceded the horsebox in his four-track to find a route and was very pleased.

One other Yorkshire handler had a success there. Edwin Tuer has found the key to son Grant's Trade Dispute and the Christie's Foxhunter at the Cheltenham Festival is next on his agenda.

Much of the rest of the week saw cancelled jumps meetings or meetings far removed from here. But tomorrow, weather permitting, Hindiana (one of the 12) is entered in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster (Channel 4, 3.35), together with stablemate Narrow Water, Mason's Red Striker, Tim Easterby's Skillwise and Andy Crook's Heidi III, who likes the course. We go to press before entries are made, but either Murphy runner would be a good choice - particularly if Maguire rides.

Earlier, Mason's Red Ark, and two of our 12 - Crook's Ryalux and Mick Easterby's Noshinannikin - are all listed for the Auckley Handicap Chase (Channel 4, 3pm). It might pay to stick with Easterby again.

Meanwhile, Patrick Haslam and Karl Burke, both from Middleham, have been winning well on the all-weather for the first two months of the year.

Southwell on Thursday saw Haslam score again with Pride Of The Park, young Lee Enstone again doing riding honours, but the winner was claimed by trainer Norma Macauley afterwards. Burke's Inchcoonan took her fourth in a row, Keith Dalgelish partnering the filly.

Mel Brittain showed that a move can rejuvenate runners when winning with Royal Artist, recently arrived at his Warthill stables.

Wolverhampton's Monday meeting saw a Williams family double. Carol Williams partnered Moyne Pleasure in the amateur riders' claimer to win, and husband Tyrone won for West Yorkshire trainer Sue Smith earlier on Aljard.

For Carol, this was her 29th career win. She said it was the second time she and Tyrone had landed wins on the same card, but the fourth time they had both won the same day.

Looking to the spring, Mark Johnston is now up among the big boys, numerically at least.

He now has 178 horses in his charge, as many as John Dunlop, although with only 156 boxes at Middleham. Johnston also has 36 boxes at Ripon for horses not in training.

We also wish well to a former jockey of his, Jason Weaver, who last week announced his retirement from the saddle.

Many will fondly remember his front running wins on such Kingsley House greats as Double Trigger.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: All racing is now National Hunt (jumping) except for Flat racing on all-weather surfaces (AW); * = evening meeting; f = furlong (8f = 1 mile); chs = steeplechase; hdl = hurdle; NHf = National Hunt flat race (bumper); mdn = maiden; nov = novice; juv = juvenile; clmr = claiming race (entries can be claimed by sealed bid tenders); sllr = selling race (winner auctioned after race, other runners can be claimed); hcp = handicap; amtr = amateur riders; cond = conditional (jumps apprentice) riders; Hb = homebred by owner (or one of the owners).

Thursday last week. - Huntingdon: (hcp chs) Noshinannikin (TtF) (trained by Mick Easterby, at Sheriff Hutton; owned by Stephen J Curtis), ridden by Richard McGrath; (nov hdl) Another Chance (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; North South Partnership), Adie Smith; (hcp hdl) Hidden Bounty (Mary Reveley, Ligndale; M E Foxton), Alan Dempsey.

Southwell AW: (11f clmr) Pride Of The Park (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Middleham Park Racing III), Lee Enstone (winner claimed for £12,000 afterwards); (7f fillies hcp) Inchcoonan (Karl Burke, Coverham; David McKenzie), Keith Dalgleish.

Friday. - Kempton: (hcp hdl) Colourful Life (Mary Reveley; Andy Peake & David Jackson), Alan Dempsey.

Wolverhampton AW: (7f hcp) Royal Artist (Mel Brittain, Warthill; Holgaate Racing Club), David Allan.

Saturday. - Musselburgh: (NH nov hdl) Tee-Jay (Andy Crook, Middleham; T J Equestrian Ltd), Tony Dobbin; (hntr chs) Trade Dispute (Edwin Tuer, Great Smeaton; Grant Tuer), Mr Grant Tuer.

Monday. - Wolverhampton AW: (8f amtr clmr) Moyne Pleasure (Karl Burke; Platinum Racing Club Ltd), Mrs Carol Williams.

Tuesday. - No DST area winners at Lingfield AW.

Wednesday. - No DST area winners at Lingfield AW