Ian McConnell talks to man at head of Citywire chart for the fourth month in a row - the longest consecutive run at the top of the table of asset managers with Scottish investment houses.

Harry Nimmo, who runs Standard Life's £295m UK Smaller Companies fund, has clockeduptheoutright longest consecutive run at the top of The Herald's monthly table of top-performing asset managers with Scottish investment houses for nearly three years.

Nimmo was placed first for a fourth consecutive month when the latest investment performances for the three years to January 31 were compiled by financial publisher Citywire.

Thisisthelongestuninterrupted leadership since a runbyHughYoungof Aberdeen Asset Management ended at five months in spring 2004.

Before the latest month was taken into account, Nimmo had a run of three which equalled that in 2005 of Paul Jourdan, former first violinist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and managerofFirstState Investments' British Smaller Companies Fund.

Nimmo retained his position at the top of the Scottish top flight as his UK-wide ranking improved from fourth to second, leaving him trailing only Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Companies manager Daniel Nickols.

The Citywire survey focuses on open-ended funds aimed at retail investors.

It does not cover managers of investment trusts or funds for which the minimum initial investment is more than £10,000. Rankings are based on three-year, risk-adjusted performance against relevant benchmarks.

Fewerthanone-fifthof fund managers in the UK qualify for one of the 183 Citywire ratings.

The latest rankings were good news not just for Nimmo butalsohisemployer, Standard Life Investments.

SLI caught up with Edinburgh and London-based investment boutique Artemis intermsofnumbersof Citywire-rated managers.

Long-time outright leader Artemis saw its number of rated managers cut from seven to six as Derek Stuart, a former leader of the Scottish table who runs its UK Special Situationsfund,wasrelegated from the top flight with a drop in his UK-wide position from 161st to 223rd.

Nimmo was "very pleased" with his showing.

"That is very encouraging," he declared.

Citing good demand from investors as one of the reasons for a jump in the assets of his fund from about £270m a month ago to £295m, Nimmo said: "There has been decent cash flow of late into the fund. Smaller companies are still moving ahead slightly. That is all to the good."

Aquarius Platinum has been the star performer within the SLI UK Smaller Companies fund so far in 2007, having by last week leapt about 43% since January 1.

Autonomy, the developer of intelligent computer search engines in which the fund has a big holding, also stood out in the portfolio in absolute return terms with an advance of 34%.

Nimmo quipped: "Auton-omy. You must remember that one. That is a name from the past.

"That was the hottest of hot things from the dot.com bubble.

"We bought into that a couple of years ago. It has been a really good one. It had a great results statement (last month and they were) bullish about their market."

He said Bateman Engineering, which is focused on building kit for mining companies, was by last week 26% ahead.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power was up 21%.

Referring to President GeorgeWBush'sadministration's recent crackdown on internet gambling, Nimmo noted that Paddy Power had a "very successful on-line betting (operation)butfortunately with no US exposure".

Among the other holdings of Nimmo's fund, engineering design software company Aveva was by last week 17% ahead. Scottish company Goals Soccer Centres was showing a 15% gain.

These companies all outperformed dramatically the 3.7% rise in the benchmark Hoare Govett UK Smaller Companies Index (excluding investment trusts).

Nimmo admitted that his fund's sofa company holdings had not provided as much support in the early part of this year.

He said: "We have seen SCS and Land of Leather be a bit weak on the back of slightly dull trading in the start of the year.

"I really think that is a bittemporaryand short-term."