Nicky Henderson achieved a notable first today as a four-timer at Kempton contributed to a grand total of seven winners from as many runners across the country.
Henderson chooses the tracks close to his Lambourn stable to introduce many of his better prospects at this time of year and certainly the routine victories in moderate company for Darlan, Chablais and Mossley were expected as the trainer juggled his responsibilities as host of a charity lunch for the Starlight Children's Foundation.
With Foxbridge, Owen Glendower and Top Of The Range following in at Ludlow and Ffos Las, there was also the added pleasure to come of Whoops A Daisy boosting her breeding value in the Listed Coolmore NH Sires "Ask & Getaway" Mares' Hurdle.
Henderson said: "I don't know if I've had seven, I remember having six one Boxing Day or the day after, but we haven't had seven out of seven, that I can be fairly sure of. We had a fantastic day on Friday with five winners and then Saturday was a bit bruising with Long Run and Oscar Whisky being beaten, but this is quite special as I am chairman of the Starlight charity day and we will hopefully raise a lot of money."
Mossley was the shortest-priced runner at Kempton at 1-8 favourite following his second place in last season's Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.
"I think Mossley slightly went to sleep, he made one mistake, but Barry said he winged the last two," Henderson said.
There was a little added pressure in the British Stallion Studs Supporting British Racing EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle as owner JP McManus was on hand to watch his 1-4 favourite Darlan, who was not fluent but still was a class apart from his rivals.
And even if Chablais (8-15 favourite) developed a habit of jumping to the left in the two-mile Halcyon Gallery Novices' Chase, the lightly-raced gelding had pounds in hand himself.
Henderson said: "We've got to get these novices out, so it was just nice to see Darlan go and do it. Eventually a pecking order will work out but the novices look good and he's nice.
"Chablais fell apart on us last season and he had to have time off. He's not the most straight-forward and I would have preferred him to have been running over a bit further really. Barry said if it hadn't been for the jumping to the left, he would have been perfect. Barry felt it might have been more because he was left in front on his own than anything else. You find these things out on the racecourse."
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