Ante post Cheltenham Festival after the weekend's action

The last weekend of racing before Christmas is in the books and it included Grade 1 action from Ascot via the Long Walk Hurdle, where Nicky Henderson's Impose Toi confirmed his class.

With the New Year in sight, the Cheltenham Festival countdown machine is ratcheting up. We've picked some weekend runners that may have furthered their ambitions for the Cotswolds.

Henderson has Britain's best in the Stayers' market

'Pretty flawless' was how Nicky Henderson summed up the performance of Impose Toi as he continued his perfect campaign by landing Ascot's Long Walk Hurdle - the final British Grade 1 race this side of Christmas.

The JP McManus-owned gelding has now won a handicap at Aintree, the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and this elite contest at Ascot in three runs this season.

He's progressing with each run and showed he belongs in the top drawer with his latest success.

He is the shortest price British-trained runner in the Stayers' Hurdle market and Henderson admitted Ascot was relatively stress-free given how well Nico de Boinville's partner moved off the home bend.

"He just had a dream run around. He jumped and travelled; he was always going best from my point of view and it was quite pleasurable to watch," said the trainer.

"When you saw him going that well turning into the straight, you knew Nico had them covered. You’ve got to finish it off and execute it, but he was pretty flawless."

Henderson has won the Stayers' Hurdle with Rustle in 1989 and Bacchanal in 2000 and, on this evidence, he has a solid contender for another success.

Honesty Policy worth sticking to

Third home in the Long Walk was Gordon Elliott's Honest Policy under Mark Walsh, also in the McManus silks of green and gold.

The 11/4favourite was having his first run since finishing second in Grade 1 novice company over this trip at Punchestown in April behind Jasmin De Vaux

He hasn't yet turned six and has lots of scope for further improvement. Though Impose Toi ghosted into contention was a meritorious winner, Honesty Policy rallied strongly on the run to the line and gave a strong hint he might be suited by Cheltenham's New Course in doing so.

Irish domination of the Stayers' Hurdle has witnessed five straight wins, two of them Freddie Gordon Elliott, and while the Cullentra handler has 2024 winner Teahupoo as a key player, this improving young horse looks an emerging contender.

He's as short as 11/2 in some books and now best-priced at 8/1.

Bass Hunter remains on the prowl

Not since Nigel Twiston-Davies sent out Ballyandy in 2016 has a British-trained runner landed the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

If the decade-long famine is to end, it could be that Chris Gordon has a live contender in Bass Hunter

The Authorized gelding was a commanding winner on debut at Newbury in November on his racecourse bow and he followed up in the Listed King Edward VII Ascot Membership bumper on Friday.

Under Freddie Gordon, Bass Hunter made all and had his rivals in trouble coming around the final bend at Ascot as he motored into a wide-margin lead, looking quite special in how he went about it. Tally Ho Back ran on strongly out of the pack to leave just a length in at the end, but Bass Hunter looks more than useful. His trainer backs that sentiment up, whilst admitting he needs to learn.

"I ride him every day and in my 18 years of training he's the best I've sat on at home, and I think he showed that to an extent," Gordon said.

"Cheltenham and Aintree will be considered, but for him to win at those sorts of tracks, he'll need to settle down."