WAITING Patiently was the star of the show at Kempton, but there were a couple of smart efforts well worth taking note of elsewhere on the card.

Fountains Windfall is arguably just about the best staying novice chaser around at present, judged by his effort prior to falling at Kempton on St Stephens Day, when looking the likeliest winner in the race won by Black Corton, and by his win off a BHA mark of 146 and top-weight here.

Saturday’s defeat of Ballykan by nine lengths earns Fountains Windfall a timefigure of 148, but it was achieved with ease and I have gone back and rated his previous non-completion on 152.

This win came about with fairly efficient sectionals and a time from three out, of 38.2s, which is over 10 lengths quicker than recorded by Might Bite in the same sectional in the King George VI Chase at the same trip on very similar ground. Fountains Windfall is a bit headstrong but certainly talented.

William Henry’s win in the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle was more hard-fought but of comparable merit. The clock points to a timefigure of 156, though there were no other races at the same course and trip on the day and it is possible that may need to be edged down.

Either way, it suggests that William Henry could well make his mark at a higher level, perhaps at even further than this 21-furlong trip.

Neither of the two-mile hurdles on the card resulted in a good time, with Redicean easily best in a sprint finish to the opening juvenile but recording just an 81 timefigure and Jenkins coming good again in the finale after a couple of dud efforts but with a timefigure of only 123.

There were meritorious victories on the Warwick card from Ms Parfois in a listed novices’ chase, from Mr Whipped in the Grade 2 Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle and from Milansbar in the marathon Betfred Classic Handicap Chase, though only the last-named backed it up with a good time (145, compared to 121 and 101 respectively for the first two).

Invitation Only took another step up the novice chasing ladder with a ready win in the Total Event Rental Kildare Novice Chase at Punchestown last Saturday, though his relatively narrow defeat of Koshari and The Storyteller comes in at only 133 on the clock, compared to his 148 personal best.

Huntingdon on Friday staged what promised to be an informative Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle, but the result, in which the short-priced pair Style De Garde and Gumball finished only fourth and second after looking to have the race between them, is a bit of a head-scratcher.

The winner, Esprit De Somoza, was slightly slower than an ordinary maiden hurdle winner earlier on the card and comes out at just 108 on time.

Sectionals suggest that Style De Garde and Gumball overdid it following just an ordinary early pace, especially from four out to three out, which they covered many lengths quicker than the leaders in other hurdle races on the card.

All in all, this looks suspect form, and the best horses probably got beaten.