LOCAL hero Forest Dante added a few more members to an ever-growing fan club by notching a remarkable fifth course success at his beloved Catterick yesterday.

Trained only a few miles from the track as the crow flies by permit holder Fred Kirby, the 5-2 co-favourite of three once again showed his liking for the place by repelling the stern late challenge of long-distance Dorset raider Ede'Iff.

"He takes some knowing and Kenny Johnson gets on really well with him here," said Fred, who often relies on a mounting block to climb aboard the 17-hand equine giant.

Sunderland restaurant proprietor Jim Andrews was on hand to greet his eight-year-old, Welcome To Unos, after the gelding had prevailed in the Conditional Jockey's Handicap Hurdle.

"Touch wood, all of ours are running sweetly and the lad who partnered this horse, Philip Kinsella, has got what it takes to make the grade. He joined us in the summer and isn't afraid of hard work," reported successful trainer Keith Reveley.

The much-travelled Welcome To Unos began life with Michael Dods on the Flat, then joined the Reveley team to go jumping before Andrews switched him to 14-time champion National Hunt handler Martin Pipe.

The west-country wizard did his job by picking up a couple of races with the son of Exit To Nowhere, prior to Andrews bringing him back North-East for Keith to resume command at his Grounhill Farm base.

"At least that proves I can do what Pipe did off a similar handicap rating, we'll send him to Leicester next week because he'll be able to run without a penalty for today's win," added the delighted Lingdale trainer.

Malton ace John Quinn had plenty of good words to say about Goldstar Dancer after the three-year-old had nabbed his third race over timber.

"It might have been a weak event, nevertheless it takes some doing to defy a double penalty," said Quinn, who had given his charge a two-month break to recover from a bruising effort at Market Rasen in September.

Paul O'Neill demonstrated just why his services are so much in demand by piloting Bergerac to a dramatic last-gasp triumph in the two-mile Askrigg Handicap Chase.

Celtic Legend appeared to have the race in the bag when bursting clear at the third fence from the finish, but under a sensational left-hand whip drive from O'Neill, Bergerac took the lead in the shadow of the post.

"My horses are a bit behind in their work, we turn them out and there's been an unbelievable growth of grass this autumn which means they've got a bit fat inside," said Brancepeth's Richard Guest, who was also full of praise for O'Neill.

"It's a long old season and things are coming right now. They are all healthy, which makes the difference."

Despite a downbeat pre-race television interview from trainer Jimmy Moffat, Ball Games still managed to win the Skeeby Selling Handicap Hurdle for the second year in succession.

Moffat's pessimism stemmed from the fact Ball Games was 15lbs higher in the weights compared with 12 months ago, but even though it seemed a tall order, jockey Michael McVoy managed to hang on by a half-length from Loner.

Due to the descending fog, visibility was very poor by the last, in which According to Pete emerged from the gloom in canter to collect the closing bumper for the back-to-form Malcolm Jefferson stable.