THERE was a rare sighting of genuinely ‘good’ going at Doncaster on last Saturday and conditions prompted classy novice performances from both Vaniteux over fences and Barters Hill over hurdles. Vaniteux (157 timefigure) had to battle to beat Arzal (156 timefigure, conceding 4lb) in a Grade 2 but the time compares extremely well with the handicap over the same distance won by Dandridge which followed it.

Those are the kind of figures which would customarily see a horse winning, or nearly winning, an Arkle Chase, but this is a Douvan (and Ar Mad) year rather than an ordinary one in that division. Anything that gets into a battle with Barters Hill at Cheltenham will know about it, as the Ben Pauling-trained gelding does not shirk in the slightest.