IT was this time last year that the unsatisfactory nature of British jumps race distances was highlighted by Timeform, since when, following a period of denial, the British authorities have upped their game considerably in this area, something which Irish racing would do well to consider.

This year’s Charlie Hall Chase was run over a remeasured three miles and 45 yards, plus 36 yards of extra dolling. All the signs are that the winner, Cue Card, ran a good time compared to other chases on the card. He has been credited with a 166 estimated timefigure, which is the best by a jumper in Britain and Ireland since the Punchestown Festival.

Sectional analysis shows that Cue Card did it by going fast early and not so fast late, so there is every prospect of his running a bit quicker still when he can be paced more evenly.

Similar comments apply to the Charlie Longsdon-trained Kilcooley, who took the West Yorkshire Hurdle with a fine display of stamina, though the slow-motion finish points to some of the margins behind being exaggerated.

Kilcooley gets a timefigure of 162: that’s within touching distance of the 167 par for championship hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival identified last week.