THE National Hunt season has changed out of all recognition over the past few years, with the top stables sending out plenty of winners long before what used to be known as Cheltenham’s Mackeson meeting.

Paul Nicholls clearly has his string well forward and completed a double at Kempton on Sunday when Black Corton ran out an easy winner of the listed two-mile novices’ hurdle, following Cliffs Of Dover’s success in the opening juvenile event.