IF Christmas is a time of over indulgence for food and drink, in racing terms, the treats just kept on coming. There was never too much. All you had to do was sit back and consume.

With so much crammed into four days, and pretty much perfect racing conditions, it’ll take a week to digest it all properly.

The King George winner Thistlecrack tops the tree. You might think after jumping well and running out an impressive winner of a race like the King George, historically as good a test of a staying chaser as the Gold Cup, he would have silenced his critics - but not so. Despite now having jumped about 16 ditches in public, and never looking like falling, his jumping is still seen to be flawed by some.

The Kempton exhibition, may well have been exaggerated by a camera position above the first ditch down the side, but since that serious error at Cheltenham, he has been safe, if bold, both here and at Newbury, two stiff tests of a chaser.

There are four ditches to be jumped in the Gold Cup. Surely a rider as good as Tom Scudamore can get him to negotiate them safely, even if he gives away half a length in doing so. There must now be doubts over Coneygree lining up and only stable companion Native River seems to have progressed from last year’s novices. It’s hard to see the Gigginsown trio from the Lexus - Outlander, Valseur Lido and Don Poli - having the class to become Gold Cup winners and Djakadam may still beat the three of them in a Festival rematch.

There was one horse whose Gold Cup odds could appear long on the evidence of last week. That is National Hunt Chase winner Minella Rocco, (33/1) by virtue of the fact that he beat Native River fair and square and Paddy Power winner Noble Endeavor was behind him when falling.

Monday also brought us a brilliant performance by the novice Min at Leopardstown. Those who burnt their fingers on the Rich Ricci-owned gelding when he went for the owner’s four-in-a-row in the Supreme, were entitled to rejoice. Did the real Min just stand up? The rematch with Altior was on and with renewed confidence.

But then at Kempton on Tuesday, Altior came up with an “anything you can do I can do better” performance. He was economical and foot perfect in winning the Wayward Lad and does look something out of the ordinary. The Arkle rematch - surely there will be a rematch, Willie? - is something to whet the appetite.

On Tuesday, there was Douvan. So imperious even Willie doesn’t know how good he is but the Queen Mother looks set for another wondrous performance in the manner of Master Minded and Sprinter Sacre.

CHAMPION HURDLE

In terms of the Champion Hurdle, the master and mistress of the house are still absent but were not dislodged from their top spots.

In the absence of Annie Power and Faugheen, Yanworth became the top British challenger in winning the Christmas Hurdle. He seemed to be in the line-up more because Unowhatimeanharry has emerged as a stayers hurdle candidate, (Jezki is the too) so Alan King put him over two miles. He has a bit to do to look sharp enough for the Champion Hurdle if Ruby is back dictating the pace on either of the last two winners.

Petit Mouchoir looks more the new kid with most to say and the most impressive credentials. Falling when going well after Bryan Cooper had selected him in the Fighting Fifth, he was very impressive at Leopardstown. Turning six, he may well get better.

The staying novices are headed by two new names, neither near the top of the pre-Christmas market, but both looking horses of great promise. Our Duke battled back impressively at Leopardstown and Might Bite would have been a dominant winner at Kempton.

J.P. McManus had long looked like holding the Triumph Hurdle aces with some high-class flat performers heading to the Joseph O’Brien yard. But it’s two of his British runners that head the division.

Defi Du Seuil has the best form with three wins but the fact that he is running so often, possibly tempers the feeling that he is the owner’s number one for Cheltenham. Nicky Henderson’s expensive purchase Charli Parcs certainly looked good at Kempton. The filly Meri Devie also impressed at Leopardstown but there are cards to be played yet.

If the Christmas feast give rise to overdosing, to the extent that you never want to see certain things for many a weeks, for racing fans, the Christmas racing was just an appetiser. Bring on the next course - we can’t wait. Happy New Year!