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Christmas delivered the best possible presents this year with Clan Des Obeaux winning an eleventh King George VI Chase on Boxing Day for the yard followed quickly by news of my award of an OBE for services to racing.

I am hugely proud of the honour which could not have happened without the tremendous support and hard work of Team Ditcheat who have backed me all the way.
I was also delighted to hear that Nicky Henderson,too, has received an OBE. No one deserves it more.

One way and another there has been plenty of celebrating these past few days. It was brilliant to see Clan Des Obeaux record back to back victories in the King George and even better that we were also responsible for the runner up Cyrname.

It wasn’t an easy call for Harry Cobden choosing between them because they are both high class horses though, for what its worth, I thought he was probably on the right one. There will be plenty of other big days for Harry and I’m chuffed to bits for Sam Twiston-Davies who rode Clan so well and comes in to school once a week.

While both horses were in top order going to Kempton from an early stage of the race it seemed to me that Cyrname was a bit flat and didn’t have his normal zest.
Harry had to niggle him a couple of times and maybe the horse could have had an off day or possibly he hadn’t quite got over his race at Ascot where be beat Altior. Even so he still finished a respectable second.

The more it rained on the day the more I felt that it would suit Clan who had come on in leaps and bounds from his run at Down Royal when most of ours were just needing their first outings.
While nothing is settled we are thinking of taking him straight to the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. He didn’t quite get the trip in the race on very soft ground last March but he is stronger and better this season, turns eight on January 1 and we know he goes well fresh so he can have a nice little holiday now before we start training him for Cheltenham.
He is still improving and there is no reason why he can’t be attempting the hat-trick in the King George next Christmas.

Cyrname was a bit stiff for a couple of days but is fine now and I’d imagine he will be again be going for the Betfair Ascot Chase which he won in breathtaking style in February.
Earlier at Kempton Master TommyTucker was still going going strongly in the lead when he came down at the 15th fence in the Kauto Star Chase. There will be other days for this smart novice who has only run a handful of times.

A day’s hunting the previous week may well have helped Worthy Farm bounce back to form on Boxing Day at Wincanton.

The next afternoon it was good to see Truckers Lodge and Yala Enki finish second and third to Potters Corner in the Coral Welsh National. Both ran right up to their best form in conditions that suited them well and they will continue to be serious players in staying chases.

Miranda then completed a great two days for the yard with an easy success in the final race at Kempton on December 27.

Plenty of others ran well over the holiday, too, and it’s pleasing to see the team in such good form as the New Year beckons.

We have plenty of runners this week starting at Taunton today, Cheltenham and Exeter on January 1 and then Sandown on Saturday.

Please be sure to check up on the latest news on all my Saturday runners by turning to my Betfair column which goes live at 5pm on Friday.

Greaneteen’s stylish success was the high spot for Team Ditcheat at Ascot’s two day meeting where a number of our runners couldn’t handle the dire conditions under foot.

It’s frustrating the huge volume of rain we have had in recent weeks and I am hoping things will dry out a bit by Boxing Day because there is no doubt most of our horses prefer better ground.
Despite being keen the whole way at Ascot, Greaneteen jumped slickly and beat the Irish trained favourite Debuchet with something to spare in the Class 3 novice handicap Chase.
It was decent performance given that he has run only four times over hurdles and hadn’t schooled over fences on grass. I will make a plan for him in time and imagine he’ll run next in another novice handicap.

The ever reliable Black Corton ran another blunder in finishing fourth under top weight in the Silver Cup on Saturday. He has earned a little holiday now and will appreciate better ground when he returns in the spring.

My Way stayed on well to finish second in the Plymouth Gin Chase and will surely be winning over fences this season over a trip.

The mood in the yard is upbeat ahead of an exciting few days over the Christmas holiday. Around 45 horses, all these running over the next week to ten days, will be ridden out in just one lot early on Christmas morning with everyone heading home by nine o’clock. Half a dozen of us who live locally will also come in again to do the evening feed. Then we will be flat out over the following three days with the immediate focus very much on our twin assault on the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day with Cyrname and Clan Des Obeaux.

We will be having plenty of other runners at Kempton, Wincanton and elsewhere and for the up to date news on all our horses racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday please be sure to turn to my Betfair column which goes live at 5 each evening.

We had a great time first thing this morning schooling 25 horses on our all weather loop beside the bottom gallop at Ditcheat.

They go left handed for four laps, pull up then do another four circuits right handed.

The horses clearly enjoy the Martin Collins surface, love jumping round there and couldn’t be in better shape.
But some of them don’t appreciate running on the extremely testing going that prevails at most racecourses at the moment so with the ground as deep as I can remember at this time of year we are a little bit quieter than usual.

I was very pleased with both Eritage and Wild Max at Taunton on Thursday. Eritage ran into a good one when failing to give 7lbs to Masters Legacy in the first division of the novice hurdle but he behaved impeccably, jumped brilliantly and is one to look forward to in the spring.

Wild Max then won the second division in a time eighteen seconds slower than the first. He is a smart prospect who might go to the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown.

On Saturday both Brelan D’As and Secret Investor finished out of the money in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup. Secret Investor travelled very well and was bang there three out before struggling late on in conditions that he can’t handle and a mistake three out put paid to the chances of Brelan D’As.
I’d expect them both to bounce back later in the season.

This weekend we will be busy at Ascot with Black Corton and Give Me A Copper on course for the Silver Cup while Tamaroc Du Mathan and Scaramanga are likely to go for the valuable Betfair Exchange Hurdle.

A day earlier Mont Des Avaloirs is set to run in the two mile, five furlong novice Chase, Bravemansgame goes in the bumper, McFabulous might run in the maiden hurdle and Calva D‘Auge is a possible for the Kennel Gate Hurdle.

With many racing enthusiasts already looking ahead to the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day I could not be happier with our duo Cyrname and Clan Des Obeaux.

If Harry Cobden picks Cyrname then Sam Twiston-Davies will ride Clan. But if Harry chooses last year’s winner Clan then Sean Bowen will partner Cyrname.

For the latest news on all my runners on Saturday please be sure to read my Betfair column which goes live at 5pm on Friday.