FRUSTRATINGLY for jumps jockey Adrian Maguire, by Wednesday he was still stuck on 999 winners in his quest to join the elite few with 1,000 career successes.

And a flare-up at Wetherby that day left him with no winners and a six-day ban for hitting fellow rider JP McNamara with his whip after the finish line.

All was going well for the Ferdy Murphy riders, who gained a double on Thursday last at Sedgefield with Maguire partnering Damien's Choice and McNamara on Man On The Hill.

But despite good weekend rides, it was not until Monday that Maguire hit the 999 mark when partnering Sea Drifting at Newcastle. Murphy's Sunday Fakenham winner, Easton Gale, was ridden by Richard Thornton.

Come Wetherby, come the novice hurdle. Maguire partnered Inching Closer for Murphy, while McNamara was on board Benbyas - one of our Twelve to Follow - for Hambleton trainer Les Eyre. The two riders came close together on their mounts and Maguire looked short of room. Benbyas landed the race and Inching Closer could only finish fourth.

After the post, Maguire looked to hit his fellow jockey on the back with his whip. The stewards found him guilty of improper riding and banned him for six days, starting on December 7. McNamara put it down to horseplay and the pair shook hands later.

Murphy's Hindiana, another on our list, is listed to contest the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury tomorrow and the West Witton trainer will be double-handed, with Streamstown also in the race. Hindiana showed enough at Down Royal on his UK jumps debut to be hopeful, while his stable-mate was fifth in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby on his seasonal start.

Maguire is named as Streamstown's partner. If they both run, the old punters' rule - back one, back both - is not a bad scheme. Antepost, 12-1 was the best for Streamstown, with the novice Hindiana much longer.

Of the rest of our Dozen, Ryalux (Andy Crook; Wilson Renwick) was held by a neck in the Sefton chase at Aintree on Sunday, so each way punters saved their stakes at 5-1.

Altapeter (Peter Beaumont; Russ Garritty) contested the Market Rasen novice chase on Tuesday and was disappointingly pulled up - but only three of the 14 runners crossed the finish line.

The Wetherby meeting brought more controversy as Mary Reveley, of all people, was fined £700 for "schooling in public" and young jockey Alan Dempsey picked up a five-day suspension. My Line, the horse involved, finished seventh behind Benbyas and was banned from racing for 30 days.

Mrs Reveley said Dempsey could have ridden the winner, but chose to ride My Line instead as he had "a squeak" of a chance to win. She added: "It annoys you when you're trying your best, but there's no point in appealing. It's a waste of time."

The trainer and jockey, who are flying at present, had earlier taken the juvenile hurdle with I Got Rhythm, to add to the week's tally of Free at Catterick and Sad Mad Bad landing the "Sussex National" at Plumpton. The Lingdale handler also won with Man Murphy at Newcastle.

Permit holder Donald Forster had a first ever double at Catterick's Saturday meeting and someone must have known, as they were both backed. Richard Fahey took the opener there and Mick Easterby also won.

Brian Ellison and his jockey Vinnie Keane are also in fine form, winning at Sedgefield and at Market Rasen, where Mick Easterby again scored.

In the Mick Easterby Owners sponsored race at Wetherby, it was nephew Tim Easterby who took honours, with Turgeonev.

Meanwhile, Chris Thornton held an open day on Sunday at his new Middleham base, Sharp Hill, part of Kate Walton's set-up. A full report will appear soon. His former temporary base at John Weymes' yard has been taken by Karen McNish, who hopes to train pointers.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: All racing 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); nov=novice; juv=juvenile; hcp=handicap; mdn=maiden; amtr=amateur rider; cond=conditional (jumps apprentice) rider; Hb=homebred by owner.

Thursday last week. - Sedgefield: (hcp hdl) Riversdale (trained by Jimmy FitzGerald, at Norton; owned by Mrs R A G Haggie), ridden by Tom Siddall; (hcp chs) Damien's Choice (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; M Sawers), Adrian Maguire; (hcp hdl) Call Me Jack (Brian Ellison, Norton; R G Fell), Vinnie Keane; (nov chs) Man On The Hill (F Murphy; D A Johnson), JP McNamara.

Friday. - Southwell AW: (12f) Susan's Dowry (Andrew Turnell, Malton; Mrs Clare Hollowood), Fergal Lynch.

Saturday. - Catterick: (juv nov hdl) Givre (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; P D Smith Holdings Ltd), Padge Whelan; (mares mdn hdl) Barton Dante (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Sir Stanley Clarke), Russ Garritty; (hcp chs) Fear Siuil (Donald Forster, Heighington; permit holder) Richard McGrath; (hcp hdl) Free (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; P D Savill), Alan Dempsey; (NH nov hcp hdl) Keiran (D Forster; permit holder), Richard Guest.

Sunday. - Fakenham: (hcp chs) Easton Gale (F Murphy; Exors of the late G A Hubbard), R Thornton.

Plumpton: (hcp chs) Sad Mad Bad (M Reveley; P D Savill), A Dempsey.

Monday. - Newcastle: (mdn hdl) Man Murphy (M Reveley; W Manners), A Thornton; (NH nov hdl) Sea Drifting (F Murphy; Mr & Mrs S Giles & Mrs J Taqvi), A Maguire; (hcp chs) Red Emperor (Norman Mason, Brancepeth; permit holder), R Guest; (nov chs) Bustling Rio (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Rio Stainless Engineering Ltd), Tony McCoy.

Southwell AW: (7f) Lapadar (John Weymes, Coverham; P W Lonsdale), Keith Dalgleish.

Tuesday. - Market Rasen: (hcp chs) Virtuous Circle (B Ellison; Ffwd Precision Marketing Ltd), V Keane; (hcp chs) Minster Glory (Mick Easterby; Mrs P A H Hartley), R McGrath.

Wolverhampton AW: Xaloc Bay (Karl Burke, Coverham; Mrs Melba Bryce), Darren Williams.

Wednesday. - Wetherby: (juv nov hdl) I Got Rhythm (M Reveley; G Thomson), A Dempsey; (hcp chs) Turgeonev (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; D F Sills), Norman Williamson; (nov hdl) Benbyas (TtF) (Les Eyre, Hambleton; Hb, C H Stephenson & Partners ), JP McNamara.

Lingfield AW: (7f) Amaranth (L Eyre; M Gleason), David Nolan.