Midnight hour may delay party plans for Lizzie Kelly

Tea For Two, and then perhaps just a tot of something stronger in celebration, guaranteed a very merry Christmas for jockey Lizzie Kelly, but there has been no time for any serious partying, nor indeed much time to dwell on the moment of her historic achievement.

Less than a week after the slick-jumping Tea For Two guided the 22-year-old stepdaughter of Devon trainer Nick Williams into the record books at Kempton as the first woman to a ride a Grade One jumps winner, Kelly is now firmly focused on making it a happy new year, too, as she partners another exciting young talent, Aubusson, in today’s Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

Aubusson, who, under Kelly, failed by a nose to beat his stablemate to the punch in an Auteuil Grade One hurdle in November, has since promised better still over fences with a Uttoxeter romp and, although today’s extended two and a half miles would normally be on the sharp side for him, the rain-drenched ground, described as heavy, will be deep enough to make this a sufficient stamina test.

Aubusson should be in his element in the conditions, but so too will be Seeyouatmidnight, good enough to be in the mix going to the last in the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last March and shaping like a chaser going back to all the best places when a wide-margin winner at Kelso recently.

Seeyouatmidnight is trained in the Scottish Borders by Sandy Thomson, who reported this week that his Berwickshire base had escaped the worst of Storm Frank. “Seeyouatmidnight has been in good form since Kelso and hasn’t missed any work,” Thomson said. “He’s dropping back in trip, so the ground should help him.”

No More Heroes and More Of That have emerged this winter as top dogs among the staying novice chasers, but there is plenty of time yet before the big spring festivals for genuine challengers to lay claims and the likes of Seeyouatmidnight and Aubusson, along with the other five runners in a classy Dipper renewal, might well be made of the right stuff.

If Thistlecrack, so dominant at Ascot before Christmas, is to be threatened in any way as favourite for this year’s World Hurdle, something will need to put in a pretty impressive performance in the Relkeel Hurdle this afternoon.

An intriguing, eight-strong field includes last year’s World Hurdle winner Cole Harden, but he is up against it at the weights over a distance short of his best and on ground softer than ideal.

If something is to come out of the pack, it is likely to be Top Notch. The Triumph Hurdle runner-up is a soft-ground battler with a touch of class; this season’s form would give him each-way claims in the Champion Hurdle.

Trainer Nicky Henderson, who also saddles Whisper and the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth, is confident Top Notch will stay three miles, so this first step up to two and a half should not be a problem.

Village Vic and Little Jon both started at 8-1 in a valuable handicap at Cheltenham three weeks ago. But while Village Vic jumped impeccably throughout and won, Little Jon made one colossal blunder with a circuit to race and never recovered, trailing home with the also-rans.

Reopposing on 8lb better terms, Little Jon is worth a second chance as he attempts to provide trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies with his third successive victory in today’s featured handicap chase.

On the Flat, Richard Fahey drew a blank at Lingfield yesterday, so failed to break Richard Hannon Sr’s record for the most winners trained in a calendar year, 235, which he equalled earlier this week.