IRISH jumps racing has been quiet since the frenzy of the festive season, but the meeting at Naas last Sunday did at least feature a major contest on the novice hurdling scene.

The Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle provided the odds-on Next Destination with his first Grade 1 success, but it was not entirely plain sailing, as he held the persistent Cracking Smart – a gelding he had beaten comfortably the time before – by just a length.

The early pace was not especially exacting, and the finishing stages were quite quick – quicker than the other two hurdles on the card, both of them at two miles – but I make the overall time more than respectable.

Next Destination is now on 150 and Cracking Smart on 149, behind only Samcro and Mengli Khan (both 151) among novice hurdlers in Ireland and Britain.

Next Destination looks a good horse, but not a great one, and it is certainly not out of the question that Cracking Smart will reverse the placings in a well-run race and/or at further than this two and a half miles. Third-placed Duc Des Genievres (142 timefigure) shaped promisingly on what was his Irish debut.

Elsewhere on the card, Demi Sang put up a useful time effort (140 timefigure) in winning the two-mile novice chase in a time much quicker than the other two chases at the trip.

The ground remains very testing at Cork, where last Saturday’s meeting was fairly low-key. Two consecutive chases over two and a half miles make handicap won by Smokey Joe Joe was truly-run judged on chase won by Livelovelaugh (who carried 3lb more). I have timefigures of 131 and 133 respectively.

However, the handicappers were a lot quicker for much of the race, and around 20 lengths ahead at five out, so Livelovelaugh looks to have done plenty of running in the closing stages, suggesting he will go a good deal higher than this in coming months.