NEVER in the history of British politics had so much loathing been crammed by so few into such a small TV studio.

But the extended cast-list meant that the fire was broad and not narrow.

The discomfort at the Pie Factory in Salford's MediaCity was easy to see from the off as the seven riders nervously prepared for what looked like a cavalry charge towards the election finishing line.

But there was Masterchef on the other side and one had to wonder if the sight of so many politicians talking at and across each other would sustain the viewing public's attention for a full two hours.

The race started slowly with stilted opening messages but it only really got momentum when Calamity Clegg took the first fence on the deficit, puffed out his chest and hit out straight at his Coalition partner David Cameron and Ed Miliband, branding them "Mr Cuts and Mr Borrow".

The PM dismissed his former colleague out of hand with Nicola Sturgeon interjecting sniffily and pointing out how it was interesting to see the Tory toff and the Lib Dem toff having a go at each other.

Nigel Farage, in his pin stripe suit, interjected saying national debt had doubled and that we had maxed out the credit card. "We have got to get real. We haven't balanced the books!" he declared thrusting out his hands in exasperation. It was the first bit of edge.

Red Ed, introducing a conspicuously calm and considered tone, talked about balancing the books in a fair way.

Then the PM, acknowledged the debate within a debate; his one and only head to head with his Labour opponent. But it was noticeable how he grinned broadly when the SNP leader attacked her Labour comrade.

Cameron took the next fence, producing a secret weapon - a copy of the letter left by a Labour Treasury Minister, which said "sorry, there is no money left".

As the Tory toff popped at Labour, Ed rolled his eyes and declared: "There you go again; talking about the past."

The participants began to ping and pong with the moderator Julie Etchingham, trying to handle the cross fire with voices talking over each other.

Mr F continued to be the most animated on the deficit and declared that the English were "cheesed off" with money going over Hadrian's Wall and that the "canny Scots" had to see their budget cut.

The Sturgeon neck stiffened as she insisted that, actually Nige, over the last 34 years the canny Scots had paid more taxes than anyone else.

The FM then upped the pace and insisted there was nothing old Nigel would not blame on foreigners, to which the Ukip leader produced a mighty double chin and grimaced broadly.

The Ukipper charged the next fence, talking about health tourism and how foreign Aids sufferers were getting free treatment in Britain,

Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood, who exuded Welsh warmth, ticked off the Ukip leader for scaremongering, which drew the first bit of audience applause.

The heat was turned up as the riders turned in full to immigration.

The leaders of the so-called Progessive Alliance began to gang up on the "scaremongering" Ukipper. Sturgeon lashed out at the Farage "intolerance".

The Ukip leader held out his hands again and said "they're all the same" ie the other leaders want Britain to stay in Europe.

The PM insisted people look at his record on Brussels to which old Nige drew a laugh by declaring: "I have." Cameron hit back by insisting the "problem with Nigel" was that Ukip was "just the backdoor to a Labour government".

Later as the leaders jumped the fences on how to help the younger generation, Sturgeon insisted how she wanted to "break the old boys' network at Westminster".

By the end, the cavalry charge produced a photo finish but the judges were scratching their heads as they could not find a clear winner.

When it was announced the finishing line was in sight, there was a cheer from those cynical souls of Her Majesty's Press.

As the leaders left the TV studios, one could imagine the biggest smile was on Cameron's face.

There had been a head-to-head but, as Tory HQ had expected, the arguments were splintered and no horse had pulled away. From the Tory leader's viewpoint, job done.