Il Etait Temps shows his time is now with stunning display in Tingle Creek

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A group of racegoers in high pre-Christmas spirits were singing: “We love you, Jonbon, we do,” on the path across the track, but the punters had not one, but two new favourites to celebrate by the end of Saturday afternoon as the odds-on shots Il Etait Temps and Lulamba delivered impressive victories in the card’s two Grade One events,Both horses are now close to the top of the betting for their respective targets at next year’s Cheltenham festival, and Jonbon’s supporters can at least reflect that his bid to become only the second three-time winner of the Tingle Creek in its 56-year history was derailed by an exceptional rival,A posse of top-class two-milers attacking the long line of fences on Sandown’s back straight is one of the great spectacles in jumping, and the three market leaders in Saturday’s race – Jonbon, Il Etait Temps and Dan Skelton’s L’Eau Du Sud, who had beaten Jonbon by 18 lengths at Cheltenham last time – were foot-perfect throughout,As Jonbon led them out of the back and towards the Pond fence, however, Il Etait Temps was clearly travelling best and when Paul Townend sent him to the front after jumping the second-last, the race was in effect over,Willie Mullins, Il Etait Temps’ trainer, had started the day without a single winner to his name in Britain this season, but the £100,000 first prize here was a reminder that Dan Skelton’s big lead in the title race could yet come under threat when Mullins’s huge team arrives for the spring festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree.

Mullins now has Il Etait Temps and Majborough – who is due to make his seasonal debut in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork on Sunday – among three 4-1 co-favourites for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on 11 March, while L’Eau Du Sud is out to 16-1 from 10-1 on Saturday morning.Lingfield 11.07 Davvy 11.37 Oracle Mission 12.07 Thiscouldbefun (nap) 12.

37 Fascinating Shadow (nb) 1.07 Coronado King 1.37 Meet Me In Meraki 2.07 Dandy Khan 2.37 Kondratiev Wave 3.

07 Beta ReaderMusselburgh 12.45 Red Oak 1.15 Magic Gloves 1.45 Disguisedlimit 2.15 You Did 2.

45 Fiveafterfour 3.15 Passing PleasureFontwell 12.55 Turenne 1.25 Easy To Follow 1.55 Mask Of Zorro 2.

25 Shotgun Shirley 2.55 Lelant 3.25 CrossbeauWolverhampton 4.30 Emma’s Letter 5.00 Sassicaia 5.

30 Palace Boy 6.00 Side Deal 6.30 Papa Cocktail 7.00 Buraback 7.30 Twilight Madness 8.

00 Sub Thirteen 8,30 Penelope Valentine“He went through the race really easily,” Townend said,“He’s grown up in the fact you can ask him for a jump early and you’re not setting him alight, he’ll come back to you,He jumps, he stays, he travels and we’ll have to now see what Majborough does tomorrow,He [Il Etait Temps] announced himself here in April [in the Celebration Chase] and has played at the top table now, and has to be one of the leading players.

”Il Etait Temps completed a 6-4 double for odds-on backers after Lulamba’s emphatic success on a tight rein in the Grade One Henry VIII Chase.The four-year-old took a little time to find his rhythm on what was just his second chase start, but then powered into contention down the back and cruised into a decisive lead after the second-last.“It’s always been a question of how good could he be?” Nicky Henderson, Lulamba’s trainer, said.“We didn’t learn a lot over hurdles.He was a bit unlucky not to win a Triumph Hurdle [in March] but this was always going to be his game whether it was now or we waited another year.

“The feeling across the camp was that he might just want another half a mile but he showed there that is not necessary and having looked very effective at two miles, we can now stay at two.”Lulamba is now a clear 11-4 second-favourite for the Arkle Trophy on the Cheltenham festival’s opening day on 10 March, behind the 2-1 favourite, Kopek Des Bordes, the winner of the Supreme Novice Hurdle in March.Henderson also reported that Sir Gino, who has been sidelined since an impressive debut over fences at Kempton’s Christmas festival meeting last season, is on course to return to hurdles in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day.Kelso  11.50 Great Fleet 12.

20 Glen Road 12,55 Biglesisback 1,30 Al Kalila 2,00 Gold Clermont (nap)   2,37 Nells Son (nb) 3.

15 Spectacularsunrise Huntingdon  12,10 Datsalrightcharlie 12,42 Coastal Command 1,15 Don’t Mind If I Do 1,45 Trapista 2.

23 Wondering Why 3.00 Djelo 3.30 Lune Brillante Sir Gino, who was a warm favourite for the Arkle when he was ruled out of Cheltenham by an infection a few weeks beforehand, won the Triumph Hurdle in 2024 and is expected to take the place of his stable companion Constitution Hill at Kempton after the former Champion Hurdle winner’s third fall in four starts at Newcastle last week.“He’s been chasing but he’s a dual Grade One hurdle winner and we could go either way with him,” Henderson said.“He did school this week and we did jump hurdles and it’s the first obstacle he has jumped since his issue.

“The Christmas Hurdle is probably the right option and we know Constitution Hill is not going to go there.Therefore the race is wide open, and it could be a nicer way to start Sir Gino off on this new expedition.What happens after that, I have no idea.”
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Jamie Oliver to relaunch Italian restaurant chain in UK six years after collapse

Jamie Oliver is to revive his Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain in the UK, more than six years after the celebrity chef’s brand collapsed.Jamie’s Italian is poised to be relaunched in the spring, starting with a restaurant in London’s Leicester Square.Oliver’s return to the UK restaurant scene is being backed by Brava Hospitality Group – the private equity-backed group that runs the Prezzo chain – which intends to relaunch the brand across the UK.“As a chef, having the chance to return to the high street is incredibly important to me,” he said. “I will drive the menus, make sure the sourcing is right, the staff training, and ensure the look and feel of the restaurant is brought to life in the right way

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Maximum protein, minimal carbs: why gym bros are flocking to Australia’s charcoal chicken shops

From El Jannah’s webpage dedicated to ‘health-conscious individuals’ to Habibi Chicken’s ‘Gym Bro’ pack, businesses are catering to the post-leg day crowdGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailPopularised in Australia by Balkan and Lebanese immigrants, charcoal chicken has long been part of our comfort-food canon. But recently, the humble chicken shop has had a renaissance – driven by fresh takes on the classics, the expansion of longstanding chains and a surge of protein-conscious gym goers.In June, charcoal chicken chain El Jannah, which has more than 50 stores, launched a page on its website dedicated to protein and macros – complete with recommendations for the best post-leg day order – a clear nod to the fitness crowd.In Wagga Wagga, Habibi Chicken has a “Gym Bro” pack – a half or quarter chicken, tabbouleh, pita and toum, no chips. Co-owner Mariam Rehman says it’s a top seller, designed to maximise protein and reduce carbs

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Helen Goh’s recipe for edible Christmas baubles | The sweet spot

These edible baubles make a joyful addition to the Christmas table or tree. Soft, chewy, marshmallow-coated Rice Krispies are studded with pistachios and cranberries, chocolate and ginger, or peppermint candy cane; they’re as fun to make as they are to eat, and they make a perfect little gift. To add a ribbon for hanging, cut small lengths of ribbon, then loop and knot the ends. Push the knotted end gently into the top of each ball while it’s still pliable, then reshape around it, so it holds the knot securely as it sets. Alternatively, wrap each bauble in cellophane, then gather at the top and tie with a ribbon, leaving a long loop for hanging

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A gentle trade in edible gifts binds communities together

A guest at our restaurant recently told me about her mother’s seasonal side hustle, though no one would have dared call it that out loud: in the weeks before Christmas, she became a quiet merchant of puddings. The proper kind of pudding, too: all dense but not leaden, heavy with prunes and warm with careful spicing.As December crept in, forgotten cousins and semi-estranged uncles seemed to find reasons to drop by her place. She never advertised the fact, of course, but everyone knew that if you came bearing even a modest offering, you might just leave with a pudding wrapped in waxed paper and still warm with possibility. The exchanges were subtle

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Chocolate tart and zabaglione: Angela Hartnett’s easy make-ahead Christmas desserts – recipes

When you’re the cook of the house, you spend quite enough time in the kitchen on Christmas Day as it is. And, after those time-consuming nibbles, the smoked salmon starter and the turkey-with-all-the-trimmings main event, the last thing you want is a pudding that demands even more hands-on time at the culinary coalface. For me, the main requirement of any Christmas dessert is that it can be made well in advance, not least because, by the time the pudding stage comes around, I’ll be completely knackered and more than ready to put up my feet and finally relax (or, more likely, fall asleep on the sofa).Prep 15 minRest 3 hr+Cook 40 minServes 6-8For the sweet pastry500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 150g caster sugar 250g cold butter, diced2-3 eggs, lightly beatenFor the filling640g 70%-cocoa dark chocolate, broken into small pieces800ml double cream 64g glucose syrup 64g cold butter, cubed 100g roasted hazelnuts, lightly choppedPut the flour and sugar in a large bowl, stir to combine, then add the diced butter and work it in with your fingertips until the mix takes on the consistency of rough breadcrumbs. Add two of the beaten eggs, then mix until the dough comes together into a ball; if need be, add the third beaten egg, but take great care not to overwork the dough

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I called my recipe book Sabzi – vegetables. But the name was trademarked. And my legal ordeal began

Vegetables, in my experience, rarely cause controversy. Yet last month I found myself in the middle of a legal storm over who gets to own the word sabzi – the Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Persian, Dari and Pashto word for cooked veg or fresh greens. It was a story as absurd as it was stressful, a chain of delis threatened me with legal action over the title of a book I had spent years creating. But what began as a personal legal headache soon morphed into something bigger, a story about how power and privilege still dominate conversations about cultural ownership in the UK.When the email first landed in my inbox, I assumed it must be a wind-up