LAST Saturday was all about the better English middle-distance and staying chasers putting down early season markers, Grey Dawning, Jango Baie, and The Jukebox Man winning impressively, but the Irish contingent was not long in stating their own claims via an interesting John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Some ‘race of the season’ commentary seemed excessive and says plenty about the diminished expectations of jumps fans, where the anticipated clashes fail to materialise as often as not, but the final third of the race was fascinating as viewers waiting for the ‘will he, won’t he?’ question to be answered.

Both Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File are high class horses, but perhaps the classiest aspect of the race was the ride of Paul Townend on the winner, going hard early then steadying the pace in the middle third, at which point the damage was done as nothing bar the runner-up had any chance.

The closing furlongs were absorbing as we got the ‘Townend Tease’ in all its glory, the rider briefly looking in trouble, but it was all body language deception as his mount had more to give.

Plenty have been lured in to thinking one of his is beaten at times, and backers of his opponents well know the sinking feeling as one of his rides starts to find for pressure.

Little wrong

Fact To File did little wrong here, the ground he made up in the final third of the race coming at a cost, and it is probable that better going is more suitable.

Gaelic Warrior has as a high a ceiling as almost any horse in training, but his floor is low too, as it is hard to know exactly when these peak and trough efforts will occur. Leopardstown seems not to be his track, and connections seem inclined to stay away from there this season but otherwise he is a difficult horse to profile.

His Aintree win last year was surprising, a left-handed track on decent ground not ideal looking at his previous form, but he might be one of these horses that decides when he will perform rather than conditions necessarily needing to suit.

The King George at Kempton will be a new test, should he go that way, and one thing he is likely to face there is more pace pressure.

None of the rest were competitive after the early fences. Fastorslow made a satisfactory return from a year off, and a step up in trip should help. Heart Wood was disappointing given he had both fitness and a reasonable position early in the race while Inothewayurthinkin kept on to some degree from the back of the field.

THE Morgiana Hurdle provided much less drama as Lossiemouth landed a routine success.

An important feature of the race was the strong early pace, Townend making the running and getting to the third last 6.1 seconds faster than the next quickest hurdle race on the card over the same distance of ground and by that point everything else was in trouble.

The decision to run her here points to her being at the head of the Closutton Champion Hurdle team, the likes of Anzadam with ground to make up, though a couple behind her here may not have handled the ground.

Irancy was beaten very early while Ndaawi seemed not to last home which just left the likeable Glen Kiln to pick up the pieces in second.

His hurdling had been under pressure over a trip short of his best, but he has improved recently and might be able to pick up a decent prize this winter.

PUNCHESTOWN meetings at this time of the year can produce strong maiden hurdles but last weekend’s looked weak, a 118-rated runner winning one on Sunday and the form from the two Saturday races looking no better than decent.

If there was a top novice hurdle prospect running over the weekend, it was Sortudo at Cork. He was visually impressive, jumping well bar a mistake at the second, and his bumper form stands up to inspection, beating subsequent Grade 3 winner I’ll Sort That by 12 lengths at Fairyhouse last Easter in a fast time.

He looked to stay well in that win, so it was a little surprising to see him starting out over a trip just short of two miles, but the first-time hood pointed to a need to settle, and he seems likely to be kept to this distance for the moment.

Another Cork maiden hurdle winner on Sunday was Grey Jude who showed a good attitude to hold off Master Haku in a driving finish, the pair 13 lengths clear of third and the time the pick of hurdles races on the card.

Connor King

He was a second winner of the weekend for Connor King, Oscars Brother landing a breakthrough Grade 2 success for the trainer in the Florida Pearl Novice Chase and showing lots of stamina in the process.

King has trained the winner in a similar fashion to last season, bringing him along run-to-run to peak on his third start each time, and while he only had a couple of further runs last term after missing time, he will hopefully get a clearer run now with the presence of soft ground likely to increase his chances of winning again.

The ride from Daniel King was a good one, as he kept the pressure on the habitual front-runner Rocky’s Diamond. That one had looked an assured jumper in two previous chase starts but Oscars Brother was able to knock him out of rhythm which compromised his chance.

The third, Bossofthebrownies, is worth keeping in mind for something at a lower level. He stepped up markedly on his hurdle form to win on chase debut at Fairyhouse earlier in the month when making all and connections surprising opted to sit in here, perhaps mindful off the other strong-staying front-runners.

Mouse Morris’s horse travelled well in rear and kept on steadily to almost grab second, shaping as if he running to give, and more forceful tactics might suit better next time.

Albert Bartlett qualifier

One of the most impressive handicap winners of the weekend was Son Of Anarchy in the Albert Bartlett series qualifier, delivering on the promise he often showed as novice hurdler. He is a big sort and got through the testing ground well while fences look like they will suit. Catchabird could only manage eighth in that race, but she shaped better than that position. Returning from a break, she was dropped out in rear but travelled fluently and made a good move from the second before flattening out late.

This was a grade much higher than she needs to contest with a mark of 99, and she had shaped with promise at times last season, notably at Navan in March when keeping on strongly over an insufficient two miles.

Do better

Another handicap runner beaten a long way, but to do better than the result shows, was Native Speaker in the two miles, five furlongs handicap chase at Cork on Sunday.

He was returning from an absence of 114 days, and raced up with a strong pace, going well before mistakes four out and three out ended his chance.

He was much more involved in this race than his finishing position suggests and something like the Paddy Power at Christmas off a low weight appeals as a suitable target.