AWAY from the Savills Chase, dealt with elsewhere, highlight of the Monday card at Leopardstown had been the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle victory of Flooring Porter, not as unexpected as suggested in some quarters given how well the gelding had won a handicap hurdle at Navan the time before.

Flooring Porter was left alone in front in this, but set quite fast fractions and drew on again after the second-last to beat The Storyteller by six lengths.

This is worth a figure of 157 on the winner on the face of it, but Flooring Porter’s time was similar to 139-rated Dandy Mag’s handicap hurdle win after weights carried are allowed for, so it is best to treat this form with a little caution. Sire Du Berlais (159) was not at his best in third.

The Big Getaway does not seem to do things in a hurry, but he has a big engine to go with his strapping physique, and front-running on testing ground proved just the ticket in the 21-furlong beginners’ chase. Cedarwood Road briefly looked a threat but The Big Getaway drew on again on the run-in for a 153-rated win. More will be needed against the very best but things could not have gone much better here.

The same Donnelly colours had been carried to success by Gaillard Du Mesnil in the opening maiden hurdle, a performance which stacks up very well on the clock. The four-year-old was a remarkable 15.4s (about a furlong) faster than Burlesque Queen went on to be in a handicap hurdle, and a figure of 145 – one of the best by a novice hurdler this term – on Gaillard Du Mesnil may prove to be conservative.

The second day of Limerick’s proposed four-day meeting was washed out and my going allowances for the days which did take place are among the slowest I have ever recorded.

Nonetheless, there were a handful of smart winners, including Colreevy (143), who came again to deny Pencilfulloflead (149) in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase on St Stephen’s Day, Farouk d’Alene (141) in the Grade 2 novice hurdle on Monday, and Grand Roi (144) in the Grade 2 Grant Thornton Hurdle on Tuesday.

The last-named had finished just behind Minella Melody (now 146) at Galway in October, and Minella Melody was the one who gave Concertista the most to do at Leopardstown. All in all, this looks a solid form line.

There were major wins on the flat over Christmas in Japan for Chrono Genesis (123) and in the US for Charlatan (119).