THE Grand National was the centrepiece of Aintree’s meeting but there was no shortage of other good racing competing for interest. Indeed, with 11 Grade 1 races across the three days, the Merseyside venue has only two fewer top-grade events than the day-longer Cheltenham Festival.

Thursday’s card saw wins for Flying Angel in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase (timefigure of 149), Defi Du Seuil in the Anniversary 4YO Hurdle (a steadily-run affair, resulting in a slightly underwhelming timefigure of 139), Tea For Two in the Bowl Chase (166) and Buveur D’Air in the Aintree Hurdle (168).

Those last two races are particularly worth a closer look. Buveur D’Air’s timefigure equaled the division-leading one he put up in winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and was achieved with similar authority.

Beating My Tent Or Yours (163 timefigure) and The New One (161) comfortably again does not make Buveur D’Air one of hurdling’s all-time greats but it should take something close to one to beat him in this sort of form. The sectionals – with Buveur D’Air the fastest hurdler across the three days up the run-in – suggest this is not his limit either.

Sectionals also shed some additional light on Tea For Two’s narrow victory over Cue Card, for they show that the latter might well have lost the race by going too hard too soon. Cue Card’s finishing speed (his speed from three out as a % of his average race speed) was just 94.5% when par is about 99.5%.

Tea For Two was not much faster but had been kept out of the heat of competition for much of the way and had just enough in reserve to get his head in front. That figure of 166 has been bettered by only four chasers this season – including by Cue Card in the Betfair Chase – and Tea For Two should not be sold short. But it is at least possible that absolutely everything went right for him on the day.

Something similar could possibly be said about Flying Angel, who caught Top Notch on a slightly off day and Cloudy Dream on a borderline non-staying one at this two and a half miles. But Defi Du Seuil cemented his position at the top of the juvenile hurdle rankings with a ready victory over Divin Bere.

The suspicion is that none of the juveniles are top-class: Defi Du Seuil’s Triumph timefigure (edged down to 151) remains the best in the division.

I would like to see a rematch between Defi Du Seuil and the Triumph Hurdle runner-up Mega Fortune on softer ground some time, however. I don’t think that would be by any means one-way traffic.