So, after that weekend … King George, who do you take? Lostintranslation or Cyrname?

I’d take Lostintranslation. There was so much to like about his performance to beat Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, where, to these eyes, he had it all to do.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’s horse was four from four at Haydock. He’d won the two previous renewals of the race, one by 57 lengths, the other a crack renewal with the subsequent King George 1-2 in behind him. He has a good record fresh, enhanced his profile significantly by finishing third in the Gold Cup last season and, officially, had 9lb in hand of Colin Tizzard’s horse.

Lostintranslation needed a Gold Cup standard to beat him and he delivered one and more. He jumped flawlessly, travelled beautifully and held the measure of Bristol De Mai comfortably on the run-in. Indeed, the supremely confident Robbie Power even suggested he’d got there a little soon.

It should be pointed out that the time was actually slower than that of Crievehill in a handicap chase over the same course and distance earlier on the card but, given the front pair came 25 lengths clear of Frodon, the form can be taken at face value.

The real beauty of the performance is the promise of more. Lostintranslation was taking on Bristol De Mai in his pomp at the age of eight, and at the course where he runs to his very best. It was Bristol De Mai’s 24th start over fences and it was only Lostintranslation’s eighth. His star very much on the rise.

You can say the same of Cyrname, although his credibility is tempered a little as his progression has been specifically tailored to two miles and five furlongs at Ascot. He could easily be just as good if not better at a different course over a different distance but that remains a large box unticked.

Saturday was still only his 11th start so he still has plenty of leeway for improvement in general terms but perhaps the most significant aspect was that he was able to beat such a classy horse in Altior on his seasonal debut, given his poor record running off a break earlier in his career. That said, Saturday’s race was a match race and there are legitimate concerns over the one opponent he defeated now.

Backed as if defeat was out of the question, Altior raced as if defeat was inevitable through the second half of Saturday’s race. The question he had to answer about stamina over this sort of trip remains unanswered but it seems worth making a point that he may have just met a better calibre of horse on Saturday. It’s likely he will continue to do so in the top races over trips of two and a half miles and above.

That said, there is no way Altior should be written off and it would be very disappointing if connections gave up on this project straight away. It was his first run of the season, on soft ground, on a course that may not play to his strengths and he was running against a serious horse allowed to dictate his own pace at a course that very much plays to his strengths.

Interestingly now, Harry Cobden will have to make a decision if Cyrname and Clan Des Obeaux, the horse he rode to victory in the King George last year, both arrive at Kempton sound. The former has been made favourite for the race but it’s probably not as clear cut he will be Cobden’s choice, as some have suggested. Clan Des Obeaux was a stylish winner last season and his comeback run to be second to Road To Respect at Down Royal was promising, especially when you consider Delta Work, whose novice form ties closely with Lostintranslation, was well held in third.

There were plenty of performances to take note of in the maiden hurdles, beginners chases and novice chases over the weekend, but one that may slip under the radar was that of Gordon Elliott’s Easywork, who won a maiden hurdle at Gowran Park.

The five-year-old travelled smoothly and comfortably had the measure of his main market rival Mt Leinster, a useful bumper horse for Willie Mullins last season, with the pair of them clear. Visually the performance was very good but it also read well on the clock, comfortably faster than three other hurdles races over the same distance, most significantly the four-year-olds’ novice hurdle won by Franco De Port.

Elliott has seemingly always thought a lot of Easywork. He was happy enough to start him off in a winners’ bumper for his racecourse debut last season and he performed with credit then, chasing home Midnight Run and Column Of Fire. A five-year-old son of Network, he was bought by Gigginstown House Stud in between that run and his reappearance at Down Royal last month which he won comfortably.

He might be one for the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle early next month and it would be no huge surprise if he develops into a top novice this season.

This really is a brilliant time of the year for jumps racing fans because the action comes thick and fast. The upcoming weekend is no different with the Ladbrokes Trophy and Fighting Fifth Hurdle taking centre stage on Saturday and the triple Grade 1 meeting at Fairyhouse on Sunday, one of the best Irish fixtures of the season.

Cabaret Queen, Yorkhill, Pleasant Company, Borice and Champagne Classic are the only Irish among 26 to stand their ground in the Ladbrokes Trophy this morning. This year’s renewal does not look like a vintage renewal, considering there is no obvious second-season chaser and Gold Cup contender in there.

That is a shame but the Cabaret Queen story, one of the subjects of this week’s Big Interview piece with syndicate manager Jack Cantillon, is one nice side plot. She has a remarkably similar profile to her trainer’s last winner of this race, Total Recall, in that she only joined Closutton this season, won the Munster National in a canter, got the same sort of raise in the weights and will likely be ridden by Paul Townend on the day.

The weights are topped by the admirable Elegant Escape, who would be a real player on soft ground, even off a mark of 160. Ok Corral tops the market. You’d be stretching it to label him as the potential Grade 1 horse as he is nine already but he doesn’t have much mileage and he looked promising as a novice last season before pulling up in an attritional National Hunt Chase.

At Fairyhouse on Sunday, the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle will be the main attraction and it looks set to be dominated by mares with Apple’s Jade, seeking a remarkable four-timer in the race, likely to be joined by old rival Benie Des Dieux and last year’s crack novice Honeysuckle.

It will be fascinating to see how Samcro gets on in the Drinmore while the Royal Bond is set to be a cracker with the likes of Abacadabras, Andy Dufresne, Beacon Edge, Envoi Allen, Midnight Run and Soviet Pimpernel among the entries.