LATE defections on account of the ground reduced the Grade 1 Unibet Irish Gold Cup from a field of 10 to a field of four, and lessened its significance in the process. But you could not hope for a more thrilling finish as Bellshill got the verdict in a head-bobber from Road To Respect.

The overall time was nothing special, with sectionals showing that it had been a steady pace before a quite fast finish, and first two get timefigures of just 126.

However, they can both be rated 165 on wider form, which gives them a chance of a place in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, especially if a few others underperform.

The Storyteller was beaten seven and a half lengths in third and a bit close for comfort, as he had been the case in the Punchestown Chase and Leopardstown’s Savills Chase on his previous two starts. Perhaps I am being a bit harsh on him.

La Bague Au Roi was a game winner of the Flogas Novice Chase, but in a time fully 10.0s slower than the useful handicap chase later on, all of that differential being squandered over the first few fences.

It would be wrong to be too judgemental of her in the circumstances of a messy race, but she got the run of it more than most and yet made rather heavy weather of winning (timefigure of just 106): I tend to think she was not at her best.

Winter Escape was disappointing when push came to shove and later reported to have burst a blood vessel.

That later handicap went to Whisperinthebreeze with a bold show of front-running which resulted in a timefigure of 139, upgraded to 141 on account of a fast early/slightly slow late gallop.

FALSE AFFAIR

Comparisons between the two hurdles at two miles and the concluding bumper at the same trip underline just what a false affair the Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle won by Sir Erec was. His overall time was around 5.0s slower than the other two races, and his timefigure was strictly as low as 102.

The closing sectionals imply something much better than that, of course, and I have rated the winner 145 – equal to the smart former French-trained Pic d’Orhy (in training with Paul Nicholls) and two below Sir Erec’s stablemate Fakir d’Oudairies – for the purposes of the Triumph Hurdle. Gardens Of Babylon and Surin remains on 137 and 125, but it should not be imagined that this form is solid.

Klassical Dream ran a 145 timefigure in beating Aramon by a head and edges up to 148 on sectionals (it was a slightly slow finish), with the runner-up on 147 by the same means. That is not far off Supreme Hurdle-winning standard, but the better British contenders will be having their say in the next fortnight.

Santa Rossa ran a 111 timefigure in the concluding bumper, while Sassy Diva (128) and Dallas Des Pictons (slow timefigure, but upgraded to 133 on the back of fast late sectionals) were useful handicap hurdle winners.