For as long as National Hunt racing can serve up finishes like the conclusion of Saturday's Murphy's Gold Cup at Cheltenham its future, the subject of concerned debate here at the start of the week, is secure.

The anxious jumping lobby in Britain held a forum on Monday as the popularity of the winter sport wanes, one course after another opting to go Flat-only.

The sponsors of the race their bit in the name of modernisation, three conventionally attractive brunettes, scantily clad in black leather - the Sisters of Murphy's. But it is horseflesh the public come to see and they were not disappointed as Martin Pipe's Cyfor Malta and Tony McCoy gamely fended off the challenge of Simply Dashing to land the £75,000-added contest.

McCoy was left disputing the lead on the 3 to 1 favourite when last year's winner Senor El Betrutti took a crashing fall at the eighth of the 15 fences. As he sauntered clear on the run to three out, a worthwhile threat looked inconceivable.

But Simply Dashing and Lorcan Wyer began to close approaching the final fence, and reeled in the leader on the run-in.

But at the line, as McCoy stood in his irons and waved feverishly at the crowd, the Tim Easterby-trained seven-year-old still had one length to make up.