BEFORE you know it, we will be in the early stages of the jumps season “proper”, a cause of celebration for some and of dismay for others, though the latter do at least have some good all-weather action to look forward to also.

It is a close-run thing as to which have been the best time performances of late, with Hammersly Lake’s win at Perth (157 timefigure) just shading it from Snow Falcon’s Kerry National success at Listowel (156) and Clarcam’s Galway Plate victory (155) on my figures.

Those three were all over fences, while Sharjah is best among hurdlers on 151 for his winning effort under top weight in the Galway Hurdle. It should be remembered that jumps timefigures are, like jumps ratings more widely, on a scale about 40 higher than the equivalent on the flat.

For some context, the highest figures in Ireland and Britain in the whole of the last jumps season came from Native River (176) and Footpad (175) over fences and from Buveur d’Air (168) over hurdles.

Other notable jumps winners in recent months have included: L’Inganno Felice (140) and More Buck’s (138) at Market Rasen; Monbeg Legend (138) at Stratford; Javert (140) at Uttoxeter; Top Othe Ra (138) and Sub Lieutenant (143) at Galway; Ballyoisin (138) and Don’t Touch It (143) at Listowel; and Montalbano (142) at Ballinrobe.

The standout performance in bumpers in that time came from Dorrells Pierji at Galway, where he ran a 116 timefigure which would have had him comfortably inside the top-20 bumper performers in the whole of 2017/2018 (a division in which Tornado Flyer led the way with 132).

Dorrells Pierji has since won a maiden hurdle at Listowel in good style, recording a 121 timefigure, and appeals as the type we will hear more of beyond the summer months.