Mike Cattermole on Christmas racing action and Hollie Doyle's star on the rise

HOLLIE SET FOR CHAMPION TILT

Hollie Doyle will be one person who may have mixed feelings about seeing the back of 2020.

She has made a massive impression in the racing world, breaking record after record, and it has been wonderful to see it filtering through to the sporting world as a whole.

This has been some week for her. Third in the Sports Personality of the Year behind Lewis Hamilton and Jordan Henderson last Sunday, she was then rewarded with three Lesters from her peers on Tuesday on the same day that she broke through the 150 barrier in a calendar year.

Her win on Darwell Lion to get to that landmark at Lingfield was outstanding. Darwell Lion, a big raw two-year-old, was as green as grass during the first half of the race but made up his ground on the bend from a seemingly impossible position.

In spite of hanging badly left up the home straight, Hollie skilfully kept his momentum going and also kept him from hampering his two rivals on the inside, all the time maintaining her poise and balance as they drew clear.

It was a masterclass.

She became only the second jockey, after Ben Curtis, to achieve the 150 during this truncated and difficult campaign and both deserve massive credit. (Certainly, Curtis has not been given the recognition he deserves).

Many of my non-racing friends (strangely, I do have a few) were charmed by Hollie on the BBC last Sunday and now know what she looks like, what she does and how she does it.

Dare I say it, but this may be just the start for her. Weight is no issue to Hollie (she can do 8st comfortably) and she is the perfect make and shape to carry on for a long time, injury permitting. Who’s to say she can’t go on and become champion jockey and even winning the BBC’s prized gong one day?

PAISLEY PARK AND THYME HILL SET FOR LONG RIVALRY

The Long Walk was a superb race, one of the best over the jumps at Ascot for many a year.

Some have mentioned Desert Orchid and Panto Prince as a comparison but I can’t have that at all. That was a handicap over two miles, this was a championship contest at level weights over three.

Paisley Park and Thyme Hill served up a duel that reminded me of Princeful and Richard Dunwoody beating Deano’s Beeno and AP McCoy by half a length in this very race in 1998, the pair finishing with daylight behind them.

Paisley Park showed what a champion he is and confirmed from his second to Thyme Hill at Newbury that he is very much back to his best. Dare I suggest that the interference he encountered in the home straight on Saturday actually helped his cause? It allowed him to gather himself and fill his lungs for that last charge.

Some have suggested Thyme Hill went too soon. What a load of rubbish. Richard Johnson rode the perfect race on him and his anguished obscenities just after the line were all part of the sporting drama. I loved it.

Surely, in this day and age, the vast majority would not have been offended by that? The four-time champion jockey, being the class act he is however, later apologised on his Twitter account. No need.

So, it’s one-all between these two wonderful stayers. Thyme Hill, being the younger horse, could have more to come but there is no question that Paisley Park is one super tough, super stayer and, at the moment, the champion.

KING GEORGE CRACKER

The King George is a race that tends to throw up plenty of multiple winners and Clan Des Obeaux is back to try for the hat-trick on Boxing Day and try and give Paul Nicholls an incredible 12th win in the great chase.

You have to be very good to win one, and a champion to have won the race twice and a legend to win three or more but there are still those that don’t believe in Clan Des Obeaux, who remember is rising nine and probably approaching his peak.

That said, last year’s race landed in his lap after it fell apart behind him - or have we got that wrong? Is Clan Des Obeaux simply just a monster around Kempton? If Cyrname is really back to his best (said to not be himself last year), then it might be somewhat different this time.

Clan warmed up with an excellent second to Bristol De Mai at Haydock on his first start since a wind operation and he is clearly going to be hard to beat.

The two Nicholls-trained chasers are sharing favouritism at present but could a top-form Lostintranslation, who got lost in the Haydock mud last time, beat them both? He can be backed at 7/1 and that might just represent a bit of each-way value for the Gold Cup third, who will be much better suited by the ground this time.

Santini adds another aspect to a wonderful race and it is great to see him in there. Nobody seems to think he will be at home on the track, including yours truly. We will see.

WELSH NATIONAL COULD BE EMOTIONAL

This year’s Coral Welsh National will be run in the memory of Kim Gingell, who very sadly died of cancer in May.

Kim’s father, Colin Tizzard, runs Christmas In April in the big one and there will be many hoping that he at least runs well on ground that should suit. In these crazy Covid times, for many, Christmas could well be in April!

My selection is last year’s runner-up Truckers Lodge, even though he is 16lb higher. The talented Lorcan Willliams takes off 3lb and the deep conditions will also suit him admirably.

HOPES FOR DERBY COUNTY AND ARSENAL

I have been a Derby County fan for over 50 years, an Arsenal follower (can I also be a fan of another side?) for around 20.

Both clubs end 2020 in difficult situations but Derby seem to be turning the corner while Arsenal are just all over the place.

Derby County is in the middle of a takeover bid, which seems to be taking a long time, and have got rid of the likeable Phillip Cocu and replaced him with Wayne Rooney in a caretaker role.

I was not sure about experimenting with a rookie manager while at the bottom of the Championship but dare I say it might be working. Rooney has taken himself out of the side and has got them playing with a good tempo and showing a real desire. They have moved off the bottom of the Championship with a recent run of good form and long may that continue.

The return of Krystian Bielik from injury has been a big factor. Ironically, Bielik was an Arsenal reject but the North London’s club’s recruitment and playing personnel policy has been in turmoil over the past few years with players released such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Serge Gnabry, going onto great things at Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Others recruited, summed up by the hapless Alex Runarrson in goal against Manchester City on Tuesday night – a replacement for Emi Martinez who was inexplicably allowed to go to Aston Villa - suggests that something is very wrong. Meanwhile, poor Runarrson has been forced to delete his Twitter account and you can’t help but feel for him.

There are a lot of players at Arsenal and too many of them are moderate. But there are some gems in the squad too who might bail them out of trouble. Nobody is expecting much against Chelsea on Boxing Day, but their next run of fixtures will give Mikel Arteta’s side a chance to end the chaos.

But that is on the pitch. The off-the-pitch hierarchy is another matter.

Have a safe Christmas.