IRISH jump racing returned this Tuesday at Fairyhouse, but with glue-pot conditions and the slowest going allowance (445 on my scale when anything over 450 usually gets called off) at the course in recent times.

That, combined with a strong pace, meant that all three runners were out on their feet late on in the two-mile hurdle, Sizing Pottsie about 10 lengths clear but coming back when falling heavily at the last.

That left the novice Percy Warner to get the better of Low Sun by half a length, apparently running a 142 timefigure to the penalised runner-up’s 143. Sizing Pottsie, who brought a 158 chase rating into this, can be rated ahead of them both, but not by much (he received weight in this).

The best race on the all-weather in the period under review came at Wolverhampton on Monday, when outsider-of-four Felix got up to short-head group winner and Royal Ascot-placed Bangkok in a conditions stakes at an extended nine furlongs. The winner can be rated 107 but did not have to run especially fast overall in this instance.

Last week’s column had a lot of ground to cover so did not pick up on a couple of significant races at Santa Anita on January 2nd.

Life Is Good (114) looked good for a long way but hung on for a win by just three-quarters of a length from Medina Spirit (113) in the Sham Stakes and needs to do more to justify his status as ante-post favourite for the Kentucky Derby.

Anothertwistafate (110) won the San Gabriel Stakes but is behind Sharp Samurai (116) and one or two others on figures for the Pegasus World Cup Turf on January 23rd.