Christmas Hurdle win for Gifford's six-year-old

The Nick Gifford-trained Straw Bear (Diesis - Highland Ceilidh, by Scottish Reel), who disappointed in the race last year, won the Grade One Christmas Hurdle over two miles at Kempton on Wednesday, beating recent Fighting Fifth win Harchibald under an astute ride from AP McCoy. Penzanze - fourth to Osana at Cheltenham recently - was third.

Straw Bear travelled well throughout, as did Harchibald, who jumped into the lead two flights from home. As so often, however, the Noel Meade-trained eight-year-old idled once he hit the front, allowing McCoy to galvanize Straw Bear into a further effort that saw him pass the line a head to the good.

McCoy told Channel 4: "He was disappointing at Cheltenham last time and I thought we would ride him a little different today in a race we would run to try to suit us and not Harchibald.

"Harchibald is a very good horse and the plan was to have a little bit to battle with at the finish.

"I wanted to get him upsides between the second-last and the last. We did have a bit left for a battle and mine's a good horse too and deserved to win a good race."

Winning trainer Gifford added: "AP was brilliant. We had a quick chat in the paddock before the race about how we were going to beat Harchibald. That was obviously the question.

"Our only chance was to try and get into a scrap. Otherwise he was going to come there and win like he does. He let him pop the second-last and the last and AP just left a little bit up his sleeve.

"Whether he's really Champion Hurdle class, to go and win one, I don't know. He might be a couple of lengths short but he deserves to take his chance."

Progressive Joe Lively lands Feltham

Joe Lively (Flemensfirth - Forest Gale, by Strong Gale) put in his best effort yet to win his seventh race since August in the Grade One Nigel Clark Feltham Novices' Chase over three miles.

The eight-year-old raced prominently for Joe Tizzard and saw off the persistent challenge laid down by Here's Johnny after the final fence to win by two-and-a-half-lengths.

Trainer Colin Tizzard: "He'd be better going left-handed as he was lugging left all of the way round, but we have learned something new today: he stays.

"He'll have a break now and come back for the trials and then go to Cheltenham."