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Previews17 November 2023
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Cheltenham faithful may turn to cross-country king Gordon Elliott again in search for early Christmas gifts

Delta Work (right) held off stablemate Galvin
Seconds out, round two: Delta Work (right) and Galvin take each on again on FridayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ho, ho, ho. With Christmas adverts aplenty already on ITV, it is that time of year when the channel welcomes back a familiar troop renowned for spreading joy on their fanciful journey.

No, not Santa's reindeer dropping off presents at every home but the Cheltenham cross-country horses darting from hedge to bush, ditch to cheese wedges, depositing nothing but the occasional jockey.

The man playing Father Christmas at the moment, at least as far as punters is concerned, is Gordon Elliott, who won an astonishing 11 of the 14 races at the Down Royal festival last week – when, remarkably, there was actually a sense of disappointment that he did not go through the card on either of the two days.

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