Monet’s a picture

MONET’S GARDEN made a flawless start to his second season over fences when inflicting defeat on prolific French raider Mid Dancer in the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle yesterday.

Nicky Richards had earmarked the £10,000 contest as a starting point for his flashy grey ahead of a tilt at the prestigious King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's Day.

The eight-year-old, whose only defeat over fences last year came when finishing a close second in the Arkle, was already prominent in the betting for the Christmas showpiece but his two-and-a-half-length defeat of Mid Dancer saw him propelled to favouritism.