NOTHING else on Friday got close to the time performances put up by the principals in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but there are reasons to be guardedly optimistic about all of the winners.

Pentland Hills won what looks a slightly substandard JCB Triumph Hurdle with a 147 overall time effort which can be upgraded to 149 on the back of quite a quick finish.

This was just the gelding’s second start over hurdles, of course, and more should be forthcoming. However, it should be remembered that Espoir d’Allen ran a 168 figure and Klassical Dream a 165 earlier in the week by way of illustrating what may be required.

Pentlands Hills’ time was fractionally quicker than Ch’tibello’s in winning the County Hurdle 40 minutes later, but that gelding carried 5lbs more and also ran just over 1.0s quicker from the second-last (3.8 furlongs from home by my reckoning).

Ch’tibello earns a 151 basic timefigure but 158 sectionally adjusted rating, while runner-up We Have A Dream (under a big burden) is on 155 upgraded to 161.

They both might have had place chances in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle given how that contest panned out.

ON MERIT

If you scratched your head over the success of Minella Indo in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle then you were not alone, the maiden going off at 50/1. He travelled remarkably strongly and seemed to win on merit, earning himself a 150 timefigure in an efficiently-run affair, about average for this race.

Two-length runner-up Commander Of Fleet earns a 149 figure, while third-placed Allaho (141) had beaten Minella Indo readily at Clonmel the time before and still impresses as a smart prospect for hurdles and fences.

Croco Bay was an even bigger shock as the 66/1-winner of the same day’s Grand Annual Handicap Chase, always close up in a truly-run race and finding more just when it seemed as if he had done his bit. This earns the 12-year-old a 145 timefigure (146 on sectionals) compared to 149 at his very best.

The finale, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle, was a steadily-run race in contrast, resulting in just a 122 timefigure for the winner Early Doors,but raised to 155 on fast late sectionals.

His finishing speed as a % of his average race speed was 110%, marginally the highest of the entire meeting.