YOUNG hot-shot Stephen Maguire destroyed David Gray 10-1 in last night's Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship final.

Maguire, 23, has now shot up to third in the provisional world rankings after winning the tournament which could have been held in York for the final time depending on the intentions of new Barbican owners Absolute Leisure.

York's Barbican Centre reached the end of an era with a flourish as a new star scored a dazzling triumph in the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship final.

It was a spectacular finale for the venue in its present form. No more public entertainment will be staged there until after the Barbican is refurbished by new owners Absolute Leisure.

Stephen Maguire, the 23-year-old Scot from Glasgow who has become all the rage in snooker from his York feats in the past two weeks, swept aside hapless David Gray 10-1 last night with a brilliant display of potting.

His winning score was the same as when Ronnie O'Sullivan thrashed Ken Doherty in the final in York three years ago.

It took Maguire a little over 20 minutes to complete his demolition job after he had ended the afternoon session 8-1 ahead, with his mother Margaret, girlfriend Sharon and grandfather Paddy there to watch.

Gray was rarely in with a shout after losing the fourth frame to go 3-1 down. When Maguire knocked in successive century breaks of 110 and 131 to lead 8-1 it was all over bar the shouting. And he completed his quest for snooker's second most prestigious trophy with a showcase 122 break, his tenth century-plus break of the tournament.

"I was just hoping I was not going to be a one-hit wonder and today I've proved I'm not," the new champion said afterwards.

"To win 10-1 is incredible, a dream come true. I couldn't believe it when I was 8-1 up.

"I wish I could go into another tournament right now instead of having to wait five weeks for the next one."

He said his family have been a huge help. When he was nine his grandparents knocked down a wall in their Glasgow home so they could create a room large enough to fit in a snooker table for him.

Maguire, who won the European Open title back in March and reached the British Open final two weeks ago, said he has also had crucial help from former world and UK champion Terry Griffiths, who has been there to guide the young Scot with his psychological approach to snooker.

One of the things the new UK champion aims to do with his £70,000 prize money is buy a new and bigger tank for housing the miniature sharks he enjoys keeping as a hobby.

Gray has gone home £66,000 richer from his two weeks here. The world number 14 from Surrey got £35,000 as runner-up plus £25,000 for his 147 maximum break in the second round and another £6,000 for that as the highest break in the York stages of the event.

"I could have been 3-1 up instead of 3-1 down," Gray rued afterwards. "But once he got his confidence there was no stopping him. Today was a bit of a nightmare but I have got to be happy to have reached the final."

Maguire, who booked his place in the final with a 9-4 semi-final win over Mark King on Saturday, started the season as world number 24 but has now shot up to number three in the provisional rankings, behind O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry, who he practised with regularly for four years and still does occasionally, along with John Higgins.

Snooker's official bookies totesport have made Maguire 8-1 joint third favourite with Hendry and Higgins for next year's world crown, behind O'Sullivan and Paul Hunter.

Updated: 10:18 Monday, November 29, 2004