Expert Analysis

Normally a significant novice hurdle in of itself as well as in the wider scheme of things with 2 of the last 5 winners having then won the Supreme at Cheltenham (Klassical Dream and Appreciate It) and 2 having won the Ballymore at the same venue (Samcro and Sir Gerhard), and there are reasons to believe that this year’s winner is at least close to the usual winning standard, for all that the favourite bombed out and one of his biggest rivals failed to complete. Among those reasons is the overall time, which was fastest of 3 hurdles and a bumper at the distance on the card, with the leaders in this doing too much early, but by a bit rather than a lot, with Il Etait Temps mostly a few lengths back and close to efficiently ridden (100.3% finishing speed). The second-last was omitted, with the runners going round it, which should ultimately have made little difference to the times.

IL ETAIT TEMPS (h156 here, 146 previously) seemed suited by following a strong pace in showing his best form by some way, sometimes pretty free but mostly settled here in 3^rd/4^th, moving up after the usual 3 out, leading well before the last and running on strongly for pressure. He ought to go well in the Supreme, this form possibly not given the credit it deserves due to the eclipse of the favourite.

INTHEPOCKET (h143 here, 145 previously) was close to form despite probably being unsuited by the drop in trip on barely good to soft going, similarly positioned to the winner but tapped for toe on the long run between the last 2 then rallying without having a chance with the winner. This was his first defeat but this was pretty good in the circumstances and there could be better still to come.

DARK RAVEN (h143 here, 136 previously) ran his best race despite meeting his first defeat, held up before improving quite well going to the omitted second-last, under pressure soon after and just keeping on. His jumping could have been better and he still has potential.

IRISH POINT (h134 here, 148 previously) ran a rather laboured race, down in trip and on this less testing ground, held up and adrift before halfway, closing a bit after the usual 3 out but making little impression late on. He is better than this.

FACILE VEGA (h129 here, 152 previously) ran poorly, beaten a long way by one he had beaten (in a decent time) on their previous starts, his going a bit too hard early probably only part of the story given the degree to which he capitulated when headed after the usual second-last. It would be difficult to support him with confidence on the back of this but there is no way this reflects how good he is.

HIGH DEFINITION (h0 here, 144+ previously) blundered at the first and unseated at the fourth, involved in a bit of a duel with Facile Vega by that stage. He has, fairly obviously given his flat exploits, bags of ability, but he does need work on his jumping.