Nap of the Day: Khrisma to land spoils for Henderson

Monday marks the final day of racing in Britain and Ireland before the short Christmas break, with the action stalled until Friday – when the Boxing Day bonanza launches!

There are four Monday meetings, with jumps action from Musselburgh and Huntingdon being flanked by the all-weather cards at Lingfield and Wolverhampton. Monday's NAP represents a Nicky Henderson yard in flying form and is bidding for successive wins over hurdles.

12:20 Huntingdon Odds

Nicky Henderson has his string in purring form heading into the busy festive season, with the Seven Barrows operator showing a strike-rate of 24 per-cent across the preceding fortnight.

The highlight of that run of success came on Saturday when Impose Toi landed the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot under Nico de Boinville for top owner JP McManus.

It's a massive Christmas for McManus, with Fact To File now heading the market for the King George at Kempton on Friday and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin at the top of the betting for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

It's improbable that Henderson's mare KHRISMA can scale the height of those superstars in the green and gold hoops but she can continue to pay her way by making it successive hurdles wins in the opening Mares' Novices' Hurdle over just shy of two-miles at Huntingdon.

She had shown promise in her first two starts for Henderson after arriving from France, finishing third in a decent contest at Windsor in January and then chasing home Casheldale Lad at the Punchestown Festival.

The pair were miles clear and Gordon Elliott's charge added two valuable races at Listowel and Down Royal in the autumn before running a blinder in the Grade 1 Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse before coming down at the last.

This mare, meanwhile, made her comeback at Uttoxeter (2m, soft) last month and she cruised around under De Boinville before winning without being extended.

There is much more depth to this Huntingdon contest and she will have to concede 7lb to the field, but she looks upwardly mobile now and can give her connections a good start to what promises to be a busy end to the calendar year with major targets in the offing for the owner, trainer and jockey during the festive feast of racing that starts on Friday.

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