Racing: Dunwoody closing on Maguire

RICHARD Dunwoody's amazing charge for the jump jockeys' championship continued here yesterday. A treble on Devils Den, Baydon Star and Second Schedual brought his total to 18 winners in the past seven racing days and to 108 for the season, just six behind his arch-rival Adrian Maguire. A month ago the gap was 42.

Ironically, two of the Ulsterman's winners yesterday were provided by David Nicholson, his former, and Maguire's present, guv'nor. 'I don't think of it as helping him beat Adrian,' Nicholson said, 'My job is to do my best for my owners and employ the best jockey available for each horse.'

Maguire resumes the battle tomorrow after a six-day ban. Nicholson added: 'He is professional enough to understand. And Richard and I never fell out, no matter what some people might like to believe.'

Dunwoody is now 2-5 with Hills to retain his title, having been 7-2 at one point. Maguire, once 1-5, has been eased to 13-8, which his boss now advises as the value bet.

Baydon Star is likely to have the Cathcart as his Cheltenham target after a tidy beating of Crystal Spirit in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase. The seven- year-old, who readily went clear over the last two fences and ran on well up the hill, looked more comfortable in his jumping over the two and a half miles than the two of his previous run. Nicholson said: 'The extra distance just gives him that bit more time to think at his fences.'

In the Agfa Diamond Limited Handicap Chase Dunwoody gave Second Schedual a copybook ride. The ex-Irish-trained gelding was full of running when he jumped past the leader, Young Hustler, four out, but the champion took a pull, and stayed in company with the other horse until approaching the penultimate obstacle, without, however, relinquishing his berth on the inside rail.

Zeta's Lad was the challenger up the hill, but Second Schedual was always in command and held on by a length. The runner-up has the Racing Post Handicap Chase and the Irish National Handicap Chase in his sights, the winner the Ritz Club Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Bradbury Star, the first under pressure of the four standing in the closing stages - King's Curate went six out - has been pushed out in the Gold Cup betting to a best 10-1 with Coral, who have reduced Muse to 12-1 from 16-1 after he outstayed Valfinet, having his first run since last year's Champion, in the Agfa Hurdle.

Martin Pipe went close in the big handicap hurdle with another Dunwoody-ridden seasonal debutant, Olympian, but the gallant gelding was caught up the hill first by Dominant Serenade and then by Dark Honey, who got home by half a length in a tight finish that prompted a stewards' inquiry.

The winning trainer, the Epsom-based Simon Dow, was absent attending runners at Cagnes-sur-Mer, but Dark Honey's co-owner Roger Sayer said: 'I didn't want to run, but he insisted, but said he was happy to stay in the South of France and let us do the winning interview.'

At Wetherby, Blazing Walker entered assorted big-race calculations with a smooth reappearance in the Marston Moor chase. Hills offer him at: 10-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, 20-1 for the Gold Cup, and 25-1 for the Grand National.