PREVIOUS course and distance winner, Mr Christie (2.30), should not be left out of calculations for Hereford's Happy New Year Classified Hurdle.

Because of a mulish tendency to get himself detached from the rest of the field in the early stages of his races, Lyn Siddall's veteran stayer has been called all sorts of unpleasant names in the past by disgruntled backers.

But you can't argue with the statistics, and the fact of the matter is that Mr Christie has won no less than ten times in a long and reasonably distinguished career.

Neither does age seem to be any barrier to the 13-year-old, who was running in significantly better company when third at Haydock last Thursday.

He's not the horse to need lengthy breaks between his visits to the track, which combined with the marathon trip, plus soft ground, should ensure Mr Christie at least makes the frame, or with luck wins the £4,000 event.

Lambourn handler Charlie Egerton has his team in sublime form, very much pointing to the prospects of Graphic Approach (1.00) in the Red Mills Beginners Chase.

Graphic Approach looked like the proverbial machine when winning his first two hurdles' races last season, however he then fell and followed up with a below-par effort at Sandown.

Egerton has significantly opted to miss out the normal next step of going handicap hurdling and decided to send his charge straight chasing, which to the uninitiated is a hint in itself that Graphic Approach has schooled with bags of promise for his first try over the bigger obstacles.

Honey's Gift is sure to be all the rage for the Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle after destroying the opposition with emphatic victory on her most recent start at Fontwell.

I'm not so sure today's far sharper and less testing track will play to Honey's Gift's strengths, and as a viable alternative I'm siding with Miss Mallmit (3.30).

Jim Old's mare returned from a 33-week absence at Warwick 18 days ago only to toss away her chance by running out at the fifth hurdle. Miss Mallmit was a 6-1 shot that day and therefore is clearly no mug, so whatever was going through her mind at Warwick, doubtless Wayne Hutchinson is ready and waiting to combat similarly unpredictable antics.

John Best has made the all-weather championship his number priority this winter and the policy is paying off with a steady stream of winners flowing from his Maidstone stable.

One of his most recent was Otago (3.50), who must now shoulder a 6lb penalty incurred for a smooth tack and trip triumph at Lingfield last week. That was Otago's first try at one-mile-and-five-furlongs, a hike in distance which brought about the desired effect having earlier thrown in a some lack-lustre performances during the months of November and December.

l Jazz D'Estruval could have his second run over fences at Newcastle later this month, writes TATTENHAM.

Nicky Richards' exciting prospect was well backed to make a winning chasing debut at Ayr in December and the grey duly obliged, jumping well in the main to beat the useful Tribal Venture by ten lengths.

That was Jazz D'Estruval's first run for a year after he had suffered from leg trouble.

He was yesterday reported none the worse for the outing but he will only run where there is plenty of cut in the ground.

''He's just a bit talented this horse but I'm always concerned about him,'' the Greystoke trainer said.

''He runs on the 19th at Newcastle. It's a £14,000 race and we'll try and get a bit of experience into him but he won't run anywhere unless it's soft, even if it was good to soft I probably wouldn't run him.

''He'll go to Newcastle and then he might go for the Towton (at Wetherby on February 5) or he may go back to Newcastle or he might go for the Reynoldstown (at Lingfield on February 19).

''If we get a spring when we get a lot of rain and it got soft or heavy at Cheltenham, which is probably very unlikely, he could go (for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase) but he wouldn't run unless it was soft. We wouldn't be tempted even if he was even-money favourite.''

l Monet's Garden, who was a major disappointment at Cheltenham last time, could return to Prestbury Park on January 29 for the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle.

The Nicky Richards-trained gelding comfortably won a Grade Two contest at Windsor in November.

As a result of that effort he was sent off at odds-on for the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham the following month but he never gave his supporters much hope and trailed in a well-beaten fifth of the six runners.

Monet's Garden's performance remains a mystery but Richards now reports the seven-year-old to be ''coming around nicely''.

He said: ''I don't know what was matter last time. He came back and was a bit quiet. He drank a bit of water as though he'd got himself a bit excited.

''It was one of those days when nothing seemed to go right for him.

''He was a little bit quiet for a week or so but he seems to have just come around and if we are really happy with him he'll go for the Cleeve.

''It's over three miles and he'll stay all day although he's got plenty of speed for two and a half miles. He has bags of ability.

''If he doesn't go for the Cleeve he'll go for the National Spirit (at Fontwell Park on February 20) and then it will be either Cheltenham or Aintree hopefully. He can go on good ground but I wouldn't run him on good to firm.''