THERE was no shortage of highlights at another excellent Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, but the standout performance on time of the weekend, and arguably of the season so far, came from Chacun Pour Soi in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase on the Saturday.

That may be said with more confidence than usual because the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase was one of three consecutive chases over two miles and a furlong, and it wiped the floor with the other two in terms of overall time and on sectionals.

Using my final times, rather than the widely published ones, some of which are inaccurate, has Chacun Pour Soi a massive 4.3s (around 20 lengths) quicker than Notebook in the following Arkle Chase and 6.6s (around 30 lengths) ahead of Éclair De Beaufeu, carrying the same weight as the former and 7lbs more than the latter.

That translates into a 176 base time rating for Chacun Pour Soi, which is edged up to 177 on account of sectionals.

Chacun Pour Soi did not come home alone, of course, but was made to battle to a degree by Min, who was three and three quarter lengths down in second come the line.

There is no problem with rating Min 174, as here, on some previous form, notably his 20-length win at Aintree in April.

That 177 for Chacun Pour Soi edges him ahead of 176-rated Cyrname among chasers seen out this campaign, and would make him an up-to-scratch Horse of the Season were he to remain there.

Let it not be forgotten that he beat Defi Du Seuil, apparently on merit, by half a length further at Punchestown in May and that he was having his first run in eight months when turned over by 162-rated A Plus Tard (a late defector here) at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Chacun Pour Soi looks the one to beat for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on times.

It needed a sound pace for Chacun Pour Soi to record such a good time, and the Dublin Chase was around 5.0s ahead of the other two by mid-race.

It was slightly slower (66.5s compared to 65.6s) than the Arkle from the third-last but comfortably quicker in that section than the handicap.

There is really no reason to think of the Dublin Chase as anything other than very good form.

Average Arkle

By comparison, the Arkle looks somewhat average by its own usual high standards. Indeed, I have Notebook a full 9lbs below the level he showed when beating Fakir d’Oudairies (another late defector) here at Christmas, possibly on account of his bolting before the start on this occasion.

Runner-up Cash Back (149) is a smart individual, who may improve further, but Cheltenham’s Arkle Chase looks like being red-hot again this year and more will be needed.

Third-placed Gallant John Joe (140) has taken well to the larger obstacles but had plateaued at 137 as a hurdler previously.