BOBBY GRANT landed the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock on Saturday, as we forecast, for the second year in a row.

Russ Garritty had the ride on Peter Beaumont's charge and the pair gave a fine display of bold jumping to win by a good three lengths, despite giving weight away to the runner-up, the Hennessy winner King's Road.

Beaumont said it was great to see their horse back to his best and possible future outings may be the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby over the holiday period or the Peter Marsh next month.

Dhaudeloup took the Sea Pigeon hurdle at Doncaster, at last rewarding his backers. Richard Fahey chose JP McNamara, Ferdy Murphy's good young rider, to partner his winner, the 50th of the year for the Butterwick trainer with 20 of them coming from the eight horses owned by George Leatham and his son Mark.

McNamara was expected to win for the Leathams on Raffles Rooster but the pair fell five out. This Venetia Williams-trained runner is in the Tote Silver Cup Showcase Handicap Chase at Ascot tomorrow and may gain compensation.

The young rider recovered to take a double when winning on Joe Crump (formerly trained by Kate Milligan, but now based with Nottingham trainer John Mackie).

Garruth was another we expected to succeed and Tim Easterby's second career Cheltenham success came with Tony Dobbin partnering this novice hurdler.

The unbeaten Barton had given him his first victory at Prestbury in 1999, but in the Bula on Saturday he was just beaten by 14-1 shot Geos.

Barton is still on course for the Champion Hurdle and a tilt at Istabraq, owner Stan Clarke and jockey Dobbin said later this week.

Mr Clarke suggested that Saturday's race may have come too soon after his hurdler's tremendous race in the Fighting Fifth.

Dobbin added that the Bula was a slowly-run race and both told punters not to rule Barton out of the Champion Hurdle yet.

Mary Reveley's Cheltenham contenders disappointed somewhat, but Robbo was a fast-finishing second in the Tripleprint Gold Cup, when the post came just a stride or two too soon for a win.

Red Marauder was a valiant fifth for Norman Mason, a similar position held by Direct Route on unsuitable ground earlier in the Tingle Creek for Howard Johnson.

Mrs Reveley was unstoppable elsewhere, however, and took a Huntingdon four-timer and Musselburgh double.

Peter Niven, her senior jockey, parried questions from the Racing Channel that he was considering retirement. He said: "I thoroughly enjoy this game and I want to keep on riding. I love it."

He was just eight away from his 1,000th career win after his Scottish victory on Loop The Loup.

Middleham trainers Patrick Haslam, who has just eight jumpers in his yard, and George Moore both had welcome Haydock winners with Fiori and Welsh March respectively.

Ferdy Murphy's Fornaught Alliance found one too good for him as Brian Rothwell's Foreshore Man, a recent Wetherby winner, beat him four lengths.

On the all-weather at Southwell, Jimmy FitzGerald, Mick Easterby and Neville Bycroft kept the Malton area flag flying.

Bycroft, who has had a quiet time of late, won with Epidium, bred at Yafforth by Tom Umpleby by Presidium out of his Efisio mare Efipetite and running in the colours of the Hambleton Racing Partnership. The trainer has now handled six of the family.

David Barron sent down Garth Pool for a pillar-to-post win under Neil Callan, another of the Maunby trainer's strong band for the sand.

There is no particularly outstanding runner on today's cards. Tomorrow, tips (if running) are: Ascot, 1.25, Simply Gifted (Tim Easterby); 1.55, Historg (Ferdy Murphy) (others with chances are Chris Grant's Angel Dust and Micky Hammond's Hard Lines). Warwick: 1.40, April Allegro (Ferdy Murphy); 2.45 Ryalux (Hammond) and/or Amarettoforanna (Murphy).

All The Winners

Thursday last week. - Huntingdon: (hdl) Old Hush Wing (trained by Mary Reveley, at Lingdale; owned by Mark Barrett Racing), ridden by Peter Niven; (hdl) Torso (Mary Reveley; P D Savill), Peter Niven; June's River (Mary Reveley; A Flannigan), Alan Dempsey; Junkanoo (Mary Reveley; Hb, Lucayan Stud), Anthony Ross.

Friday. - Southwell AW: (5f) Upper Chamber (Jimmy FitzGerald, Norton; trainer), Dean Mernagh; (8f) Jorrocks (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Stephen J Curtis), Terry Lucas.

Saturday. - Cheltenham: (hdl) Garruth (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; M P Burke), Tony Dobbin.

Haydock: (hdl) Fiori (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; I Wilson), Adrian Maguire; (chs) Welsh March (George Moore, Middleham; John Robson), Jim Crowley; (chs) Bobby Grant (Peter Beaumont, Strearsby; John J Thompson), Russ Garritty; (chs) Foreshore Man (Brian Rothwell, Musley Bank; Premier Protection Services Ltd), Jamie Mogford; (hdl) Michael Finnegan (Lynn Siddall, Colton; Mrs D J Morris), Tom Siddall.

Doncaster: (hdl) Dhaudeloup (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; G H Leatham), J P McNamara.

Monday. - Southwell AW: (5f) Efidium (Neville Bycroft, Norton; Hambleton Racing Partnership), Chris Catlin; (6f) Garth Pool (David Barron, Maunby; Nigel Sheilds), Neil Callan.

Tuesday. - (amateurs' chs) Jokers Charm (Norman Mason, Crook; permit holder), Mr L McGrath; (hdl) Loop The Loup (Mary Reveley; Mr and Mrs J D Cotton), Peter Niven; (hdl) Roveretto (Mary Reveley; Codan Trust Company Ltd), Alan Dempsey.

Wednesday. - No DST area winners