THERE were only three Irish jumps meetings in the period under review but they turned up a handful of interesting time performances between them.

The main timing interest where Alpha Des Obeaux’s listed chase win at Thurles on Thursday is concerned is in discovering just how much a pedestrian pace punishes an overall time. “Lots” is the answer.

An average speed of just 15.5s/furlong and a burnup over the last few obstacles (finishing speed was 120% of average race speed) results in a winning timefigure of just 66. Alpha Des Obeaux is much better than that, as are the pair he beat, but as a piece of form this is worth very little.

Lever Du Soleil achieved quite a bit more on the clock when winning a juvenile hurdle at Gowran on Saturday, his 127 timefigure the best so far in the division (though that is not saying much at this stage).

A little caution is best exercised where Drumconnor Lad – winner of the Talbot Hotel Carlow Chase at Gowran – is concerned, for his time was only about 1.0s quicker than Dr Mikey (who carried 11lbs more) in a beginners chase shortly after. I have timefigures of 129 and 136 respectively.

Tout Est Permis was a ready winner of the Troytown Chase at Navan on Sunday with a decidedly healthy 151 timefigure, while the opening race, won by Defi Bleu, was notably fast for a maiden hurdle and gets a 130 timefigure.

The “Monksfield” Novice Hurdle later on the Navan card was won in a time nearly 4.0s slower than Defi Bleu’s by Easy Game, who recorded a 121 timefigure in the process.