UNLUCKY Lorcan Wyer was made to suffer again as Silly Money underlined the fine form of the Tim Easterby string at Doncaster yesterday. Wyer, in the wars again after a fall on the course on Saturday, watched as his deputy Russ Garritty gave a superb performance on Silly Money in the South Yorkshire Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

And to compound matters Wyer has had to delay his return to action this week putting his participation in the Cheltenham Festival in some doubt. The jockey has scrapped plans to ride at Catterick tomorrow because of tendon damage to his left arm

The six-year-old Silly Money was one of four horses virtually in line at the final flight. But the determined Garritty galvanised his mount in great style and held off the persistent Above The Cut by a neck with the favourite Beaumont third.

The victory is a boost for Easterby, whose main Cheltenham Festival hope is Simply Dashing in the Arkle Challenge Trophy. "It's a shame for Lorcan that's another he's missed. But Russ rode this horse last time and he was quite confident," he said.

Yorkshire-born Jamie Osborne has been doing well on visits to his home county, registering a hat-trick at Wetherby last week and at Doncaster on Saturday. But he flirted with disaster yesterday before clinching another profitable trip north.

In a slow-run race, Osborne was almost caught out on the evenmoney favourite Spring Gale in the EBF `National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle. Eugene Husband stole several lengths advantage in the home straight and it was only in the final 100 yards that Spring Gale nosed ahead eventually going on to win by one and a quarter lengths.

Osborne later went on to seal a double when Ardrom won the concluding bumper.

Long-serving trainer Martin Tate returned to the winner's enclosure for the first time in two seasons when Sweet Trentino sprang a surprise in the Sprotbrough Claiming Hurdle.

Tate, who has just half a dozen horses now, had his last success with Nickle Joe at Warwick on December 29th, 1994.

After 8 to 13 Cutthroat Kid's eclipse in the first there was more grief for odds-on backers when Monicasman (1 to 3) flopped in the Wadworth Novices' Chase. He folded disappointingly in the closing stages to finish last of three behind Suvla Bay.