THERE was festive cheer for Venetia Williams and her Wye Valley yard as Zertakt stormed through to win by a neck at the Cheltenham Christmas meeting – a day after stable star L'Homme Presse secured a sterling second on his first appearance in nine months.

Victory in the £25,000 Michael Eakins Senior Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase over 3m 1 1/2f was 7/1 shot Zertakt's first win over fences, with jockey Charlie Deutsch bringing him through from way back to power up the hill and pip 8/1 fancied Holokea.

It followed the long-awaited return of L'Homme Presse, fourth in the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup, in the £100,000 Turners Handicap Chase.

Giving lumps of weight away and trailing half way round, the 5/1 shot rallied under Deutsch to take second by a neck for a £21,000 pay day behind Blaze The Way.

Venetia said: "He's run an absolute blinder... with them not going at a particularly strong pace, he's stuck in behind and has nowhere to go.

"Charlie pulled him out and he started motoring, and it bodes well going forward.”

And she was celebrating again on Monday, as Lady Pretender landed a first victory at the 17th attempt, winning the 2m 4f handicap chase and the £5,254 first prize by 6L at Plumpton under Deutsch.