CHELTENHAM on Friday saw another of our Twelve to Follow in winning vein, together with an old favourite, also on the scorecard, as both Benbyas and Paddy's Return made the trip to the Cotswolds pay off. Sadly, the frost hit before Saturday's card and we were denied the chance to see Barton, Fatelhalkair and Banker Count take on the big boys at Prestbury.

But Friday saw Benbyas in cracking form under Tony Dobbin and Les Eyre is eying the County Hurdle for our TtF star at the Festival next March - roll on the day!

Paddy's Return landed the Triumph Hurdle nearly six years ago at Cheltenham and his victorious return on Friday added to his history. Reunited with Paul Carberry, who is forging ahead in Ireland having returned from injury, Ferdy Murphy's stable stalwart had a hard battle in the cross-country chase to beat the favourite Galapiat du Mesnil (Paul Nichols) and the Czech raider Sankt Moritz.

On Friday, Mick Easterby sold his interest in Banker Count, who was due to run in the frost-hit Tripleprint Gold Cup next day, now under Venetia Williams' care, so we have substituted Noshinannikin from Easterby's string in our dozen.

Mary Reveley was the only trainer from our area to win at Doncaster on Saturday as her good young rider Andrew Garrity partnered Highbank. She also scored at Haydock when Alan Dempsey drove 25-1 shot Carrick Troop to beat John Quinn's B The One.

Hindiana, Ferdy Murphy's representative in our twelve, was fourth to Legal Right (Jonjo O'Neill) in the Tommy Whittle Chase there, but the novice's run was encouraging. Bobby Grant (Peter Beaumont) could not land this for the third time running and was only sixth, but should strip fitter next time.

Murphy went all the way to Hereford on Tuesday for a good double, Adrian Maguire winning on Thosewerethedays, homebred by Dawn Goodfellow, and on Gortmire Mews.

Swinbank chose McNamara again to ride for him at Musselburgh because Jim Crowley was injured with his broken collarbone, and again it was a winning combination with Lucky Judge. Andrew Garrity took another for his Lingdale boss on Chaos Theory.

Sedgefield and Wetherby are among the meetings on Boxing Day, when among our dozen with entries are Dibea Times (Kempton 1.45), October Mist (Wetherby 1.25), and Tyneandthyneagain (Towcester 1.35 or Wetherby 1.55).

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); Barton (Tim Easterby); Benbyas (Les Eyre); Dibea Times (Malcolm Jefferson); Fatelhalkair (Brian Ellison); Gralmano (Kevin Ryan); Hindiana (Ferdy Murphy); Major Sponsor (George Moore); Noshinannikin (Mick Easterby, replacing Banker Count now not in his yard); October Mist (Mary Reveley); Ryalux (Andy Crook); Tyneandthyneagain (Norman Mason).

Friday. - Cheltenham: (hcp X-country chs) Paddy's Return (trained by Ferdy Murphy, at West Witton; owned by Paddy O'Donnell), ridden by Paul Carberry; (hcp hdl) Benbyas (Les Eyre, Hambleton; Hb, C H Stephenson & partners), Tony Dobbin.

Doncaster: (cndl nov hcp hdl) Into Battle (John Quinn, Settrington; Lady Anne Bentinck), Liam Cooper; (mdn chs) Primitive Herb (Mary Reveley, Lingdale; M F Strawson), Andrew Garrity; (sellg hdl) Amjad (Patrick Haslam, Middleham; Mrs B M Hawkins), Niall Hannity; Ichi Beau (Ferdy Murphy; Mrs Fiona Butterly), JP McNamara; (nov hdl) Virgin Soldier (Alan Swinbank, Melsonby; J David Abell), JP McNamara; (NHf) Super Sammy (Mick Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Whitestonecliffe Racing Partnership), Mr Gino Carenza.

Southwell AW: (6f) Katy O'Hara (Sally Hall, Coverham; C Platts), Paul Fessey; (5f) Cash (Mel Brittain, Warthill; Northgate Autumn), D Allan.

Saturday. - Doncaster: (hcp hdl) Highbank (Mary Reveley; D H & C Thrower), Andrew Garrity.

Haydock: (hcp chs) Carrick Troop (Mary Reveley; Major J C K Young), Alan Dempsey.

Southwell AW: (8f) Two Steps To Go (David Barron, Maunby; J Baggott), Dean McKeown; (12f) China Castle (Patrick Haslam; Middleham Park Racing I & Others), Lee Enstone; (8f) Massey (David Barron; J Edward Boynton), Dean McKeown.

Wolverhampton AW (afternoon & *): (12f) Positive Profile (Patrick Haslam; Chelgate Public Relations Ltd), Royston ffrench.

Monday. - Southwell AW: (14f) Positive Profile (Patrick Haslam; Chelgate Public Relations Ltd), Royston ffrench.

Tuesday. - Hereford: (mdn chs) Thosewerethedays (Ferdy Murphy; Hb, Mrs J D Goodfellow), Adrian Maguire; (hcp chs) Gortmore Mews (Ferdy Murphy; John McMullen W F-Clennell Susan Sample), Adrian Maguire.

Musselburgh: (mdn hdl) Lucky Judge (Alan Swinbank; Mrs I Gibson), JP McNamara; (nov chs) Chaos Theory (Mary Reveley; Hb, R Burridge), Andrew Garrity; (NHf) Flash Of Memory (Richard Fahey, Butterwick; Hb, Carnoustie Racing Club), Padge Whelan.

Wolverhampton AW: (5f) Sharp Hat (David Chapman, Stillington; Miss N F Thesiger), Tony Culhane.

Wednesday. - Bangor: (hcp hdl) Moss Harvey (Malcolm Jefferson, Norton; Hb, J R Salter), Graham Lee.

Lingfield AW: (10f) Susan's Dowry (Andrew Turnell, Malton; Mrs Claire Hollowood), Fergal Lynch; (7f) Legal Set (Karl Burke, Coverham; Platinum Racing Club Ltd), Fergal Lynch; (6f) Pawn In Life (David Barron; Lawrence O'Kane), Dean Mernagh.