THE usual pre-Christmas highlight was provided by Ascot on Friday week and last Saturday. The distinct impression is that the JLT (Long Walk) Hurdle took less winning than usual, with Sam Spinner jumping erratically and unseating at the second and Unowhatimeanharry departing at the eighth.

Nonetheless, the time recorded by Paisley Park was decent and worth a timefigure of 152, for all that the horse immediately behind – West Approach (150) – cannot be relied upon to reproduce this.