THE best National Hunt jockey never to have won the championship joined the elite band of those who have ridden 1,000 winners on Thursday last week after we went to press.

Adrian Maguire became the seventh jumps pilot to reach the landmark only months after fellow northern-based rider Peter Niven, now retired, achieved the target.

It was just reward for the likeable Irishman after a career with more ups and downs than the Grand National.

Ten years ago he rode Omerta to a first-ride win in Britain at the Cheltenham Festival and quickly made his mark in his first full season here as the champion conditional rider. But as a fully fledged senior, the title eluded him.

In 1983-84 he ran Richard Dunwoody close and was just ahead of Dunwoody in 1995 when breaking his arm on Easter Monday to dash his chance.

Long involved with David Nicholson, the pair split with some acrimony, which Maguire said was due to lack of communication.

Add to that a series of injuries and there were tough times aplenty.

He has been involved with Ferdy Murphy since the early 1990s when his fellow Irishman trained for Geoff Hubbard and, since Murphy's move to Middleham, has been a strong part of the trainer's success.

For the past two seasons, Maguire has been stable jockey to the now West Witton-based handler and more than half the rider's winners so far this term, some 30, have come out of their Wynbury base.

But it was Patrick Haslam who provided the mount for his 1,000th win, which came on Fiori at Carlisle.

Fittingly, he added another to the tally when partnering the Murphy-trained Damien's Choice at a muddy and rainy Catterick on Tuesday.

Saturday saw him only sixth on Streamstown in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury, while Dean Gallagher partnered Hindiana, one of our Twelve to Follow, who made too many mistakes to be nearer than tenth. His turn will come.

Barton, another of our chosen dozen, made no mistake in an easy follow-up win over a longer trip (three miles) at Newcastle.

Tim Easterby is considering the Dipper Novices Chase there on January 12, but his star may turn out again sooner.

Dibea Times, another of the 12, was not disgraced in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle on his seasonal debut, finishing fourth to Landing Light after leading briefly.

He will strip fitter next time - and keep an eye on the outsider in the race, Simply Gifted, another from Tim Easterby's string, who was an eye-catching third.

Mary Reveley has had a cracking week, with a Catterick double among her tally.

Kate Walton sent out her first winner with a full licence at Newcastle, with her homebred Roman Outlaw, following in her father Sam Hall's footsteps.

Muriel Naughton, who has recently returned to form, won at Carlisle.

Mick Easterby's new stable amateur, Gino Carenza, rode a winner in his first race for his new boss.

Jockeys Graham Lee and JP McNamara, Maguire's fellow stable jockey at West Witton, are both firing at present.

On the all-weather, David Barron and Karl Burke are easy to back, while Nigel Tinkler's former turf star Goretski got back to winning ways on the sand.

The weekend has entries from our 12 for both Banker Count and Ryalux in one Wetherby race, with Gralmano and Dibea Times in another, both on Channel 4.

Brian Ellison has Latalomne in the Tingle Creek at Sandown and says this could beat Edredon Bleu.

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); nov = novice; juv = juvenile; hcp = handicap; mdn = maiden; amtr = amateur riders; cond = conditional (jumps apprentice) riders; Hb = homebred by owner (or one of the owners).

Racing Week's 12 to Follow (TtF): Altapeter (Peter Beaumont); Banker Count (Mick Easterby); Barton (Tim Easterby); Benbyas (Les Eyre); Dibea Times (Malcolm Jefferson); Fatelhalkair (Brian Ellison); Gralmano (Kevin Ryan); Hindiana (Ferdy Murphy); Major Sponsor (George Moore); October Mist (Mary Reveley); Ryalux (Andy Crook); Tyneandthyneagain (Norman Mason).

Thursday last week. - Carlisle: (hcp hdl) Fiori (trained by Patrick Haslam, at Middleham; owned by Wilson Imports I), ridden by Adrian Maguire; (amtr hcp hdl) Needwood Spirit (Muriel Naughton, Richmond; Famous Five Racing), Mr Nicky Tinkler.

Uttoxeter: (nov chs) Colourful Life (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; Andy Peake & David Jackson), Norman Williamson.

Friday. - Southwell AW: (7f) Game Guru (David Barron, Maunby; Mrs J Hazell), Dean Mernagh; (11f) Our Destiny (Mark Buckley, Upper Helmsley; Drew Kerr), Mark Tebbutt.

Saturday. - Haydock: (nov hcp hdl) Silver Socks (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Mrs Angela K Geraghty), Richard McGrath; (nov chs) Man On The Hill (Ferdy Murphy, West Witton; D A Johnson), JP McNamara; (hcp hdl) Reverse Charge (Chris Grant, Wolviston; Hb, Ian W Glenton), Richard McGrath.

Newcastle: (amtr hcp hdl) Noshinannikin (Mick Easterby; Stephen J Curtis), Mr Gino Carenza; (hcp chs) Roman Outlaw (Kate Walton, Middleham; Hb, trainer), Graham Lee; (juv nov hdl) Polish Flame (Mary Reveley; Falcon Assets), Alan Dempsey; (nov hdl) Moss Harvey (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Hb, J R Salter), Graham Lee; (nov chs) Barton (TtF) (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Sir Stanley Clarke), Tony Dobbin; (hcp chs) The Major (Mary Reveley; Sir Robert Ogden), Tony Dobbin.

Wolverhampton AW (afternoon & *): (12f) Bawsian (Les Eyre, Hambleton; David Scott), David Nolan; (5f) Goretski (Nigel Tinkler, Langton; P D Savill), Ian Mongard.

Monday. - Kelso: (hcp chs) Weaver George (Wilf Storey, Muggleswick; Regent Decorators Ltd), Graham Lee; (amtr mdn hdl) Sorrento King (Mary Reveley; B Padgett, K Bennett & A Davies), Mr F King.

Folkestone: (mares NHf) Clonroche Vinyls (Ferdy Murphy; Nicholas Butterly), JP McNamara.

Tuesday. - Lingfield AW: (5f) Pure Coincidence (Karl Burke, Coverham; Asterlane Ltd), Darren Williams.

Wednesday. - Catterick: (cond hcp hdl) Terdad (Mary Reveley; Tremousser Partnership), T Eaves; (sell hcp hdl), Lurpak Legend (Mary Reveley; Mary Reveley Racing Club), Alan Dempsey; (hcp chs) Emperor's Magic (Norman Mason, Brancepeth; permit holder), Richard Guest; (hcp chs) Damien's Choice (Ferdy Murphy; M Sawers), Adrian Maguire; (NH nov hdl) Tee-Jay (Andy Crook, Middleham; T J Equestrian Ltd), Brian Harding.

Wolverhampton AW: (9f) Sandles (Karl Burke; Platinum Racing Club), Fergal Lynch.