WHERE to begin, well probably with the best. There is no trainer of staying chasers to compete with Paul Nicholls and he won the King George for the ninth time when Silviniaco Conti repeated last year’s victory.

Last year he seemed to pick up the pieces when Cue Card emptied, but this year the glory was all his own. He dominated from the start, jumped brilliantly and put the race to bed when Noel Fehily asked him between three and two out. It was not Denman but it was Denman-esque.

He sets the standard for the Gold Cup but the main stat against him is that few horses win it at their third attempt. Nevertheless, he looked the winner last year and if anyone can get two lengths extra out of him on the big day, it’s Nicholls. After the Kauto and Kayto Star, it’s about time sports commentators learned to say Silviniaco properly!

Those who got their figures burnt with Djakadam in the Hennessy suffered the same fate with Champagne Fever, simply too short for a horse with so many question marks.

It’s not that he ran badly, he answered most questions, but it was predictable that he might be too keen for his own good in a race where stamina was going to be tested. Thereby lies the dilemma as he seems to be best fresh, but in being so, he will also be very keen. He jumped almost too big and well at time and it remains to be seen how best to ride him or what his Cheltenham target may be.

Dynaste stayed on well and perhaps decent ground would see him go for the Gold Cup rather than the Ryanair though David Pipe seemed to prefer the shorter race at the Festival.

Al Ferof took third again without ever looking a threat and would be interesting in the Champion Chase, a la One Man. That race has the potential to cut up.

Wishful Thinking sadly had an off day and Menorah is not up to it against the very top horses.

Cue Card was there until three out but had no spark after that and seems a bit removed from the horse who won the Ryanair in 2013 and last year’s Betfair Chase.

One of the most interesting horses was Johns Spirit. He was in the thick of the action turning into the straight but a mistake, probably due to tiredness, at the third last ended his run.

Given his record at Cheltenham, his trainer’s proven ability to get a horse spot on for the Festival, at 12/1 he is a very interesting Ryanair Chase contender.

If there is a need for a rethink on plans for Champagne Fever, there is a clear path ahead for Faugheen who was hugely impressive in the Christmas Hurdle. Even if the race fell apart, it’s becoming clear that the hurdle division is weak and only The New One has legitimate claims in Britain. The headline ‘Faugheen’ the machine may become much used this spring. Will he take on the Irish stars at Leopardstown before the Festival is the big question.

John Oaksey, through his writing and riding, was the epitome of all that thrills in National Hunt racing and though his mare Plaid Maid was considered slow in her racing career, with the right stallions she has produced high class National Hunt horses. They are the type that are often lacking nowadays - strong, honest, staying chasers that were born to jump, that Oaksey would have delighted in. Carruthers came first with his Hennessy win, last week the five-year-old Flintham produced a bold win from the front at Ascot and the star of the show is Coneygree who gave the family a first Grade 1 win in the Kauto Star Novices Chase where he ran and jumped in a manner any National Hunt enthusiast would be proud of.

As his rivals fell by the wayside the only danger was that Nico de Boinville would ask him an unnecessary question over the last three fences. He could have done with a few pantomime shouts of look behind you. If he and King’s Palace taken each other on in the RSA Chase it will be some race.

Also on the card Stellar Nation impressed over fences for Tom George and Sempre Medici, hardly a first string Mullins contender, ran well enough in the opening novice to strike fear for when the big guns come later in the season.

LEOPARDSTOWN

Punters endured torrid times at Leopardstown, not only from the pretty atrocious weather but from a series of big-priced winners and well backed favourites getting turned over.

All was going according to plan when Alvisio Ville, a taking grey son of Visionary, justified strong support at 1 /2 to take the opening maiden hurdle comfortably for Willie Mullins, J.P. McManus and Paul Townend.

Rock On The Moor was a generous 12/1 winner of the following maiden before Fiscal Focus sprung a 33/1 shock in lowering the colours of Triumph Hurdle favourite Kalkir (4/7) in the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle. Anyone betting ante-post on the Triumph is lurking in dangerous waters in December.

Worst was to come when the banker, the unbeaten Vautour went down feebly to an impressive Clarcam, continuing Gordon Elliot’s spirited fight against the Mullins might in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase.

Vautour seemed to make a mistake similar to Un De Sceaux on his debut but though he stood up, he was barely able to gallop up the run-in and this cannot be his true form. The 5/1 for the Arkle could look big yet.

In the last, the Mullins bumper favourite Easy Street didn’t look too in love with the conditions as Elliott double up with Space Cadet.

LIMERICK

Punters fared a bit better down south where there were four winning favourites and 7/1 was the biggest returned SP. The winners were headed by the impressive Gilgamboa (7/4) in the featured Shannon Airport Novice Chase. Jumping well efficiently, he was well in control when market rival Adrianna Des Mottes sprawled at the last.

Black Zero completed the hat-trick for Michael McDonagh when winning the two and a half mile handicap chase at 3/1, giving Mark Walsh a treble at the meeting.

DOWN ROYAL

A new name came to the fore in the hunter chase division when Gordon Elliot’s Oscar Barton (7/1) carried his good point-to-point form to the track, and well ridden by Tim Donworth, he was a comprehensive winner over On The Fringe (4/6).

For the rest of the card it paid to follow the Fox, with double for Anthony Fox on Ardmillan (6/1) and shock bumper winner Rushvale (20/1) and Ger Fox on Down Ace (3/1) and Coney Choice (14/1). Noel McParlan was the third rider to complete a double.

TOWCESTER

It was ladies day at Towcester with two winning favourites for recently turned professional Lizzie Kelly for Nick Williams and a double also for amateur Bridget Andrews.

WETHERBY

Dolatulo put up a good performance to win the Roland Merrick for Dougie Costello and Warren Greatrex from Cape Tribulation and Corrin Wood. The third ran very well making a lot of the running under a big weight. Only seven, he has form with some good horses and from the McCain stable, could be a Grand National outsider.

Also on the card, another National winning trainer Sue Smith had a double with No Planning (4/1) and Special Wells (10/1) to add to their Sedgefield winner with Smooth Stepper (8/1).

WINCANTON

Kinsale point-to-point winner Abigail Lynch (11/2) took the opener seems to have got her career back on track with her second win for the Twiston-Davies stable beating Alan King’s odds-on favourite Avispa.

David Pipe and Tom Scudamore took the Pertemps Qualifier with odds-on shot Batavir before helicoptering to Kempton before the King George. Neil Mulholland has another decent handicap chaser in Minella Definitely who won the Mid Season Chase by six lengths.

It was a day marked by about 20 shades of grey throughout the country but the final winner of a hectic afternoon wore yellow as

Emma Lavelle’s good looking four-year-old son of Oscar ran green but was impressive in winning the bumper by eight lengths under Aidan Coleman.