IN the end, Storm Dennis proved to be a dampener more than a show-stopper, with a majority of the weekend’s jumps action in Ireland and Britain going ahead.

The sole Grade 1 was the Betfair Ascot Chase, which is a race that takes a bit of unravelling. Riders Onthe Storm won it, not entirely unexpectedly, but not in the manner anticipated.

He and the odds-on Cyrname set down to battle it out some way from home, with Riders Onthe Storm readily getting on top, but the consequence was that both gelding’s petrol gauges were running low up the home straight.

Traffic Fluide, who had struggled to keep up earlier, stayed on so well that he was upsides at the last and would probably have won narrowly, but for falling there.

Sectionals show that Riders Onthe Storm did well, and he can be left on 162 despite running to only 151 on time here. Traffic Fluide probably merely confirmed his previous best of 153, while Cyrname was a sad disappointment, held when also departing at the last (though better than that due to the mid-race gallop he helped to set).

There are a few ahead of the winner for the Ryanair Chase on my figures, but a place is certainly not out of the question for the former Tom Taaffe inmate.

Achievement

It would be wise not to underestimate the achievement of Copperhead in winning the Reynoldstown Chase earlier on the card, for all that he received weight off most of his rivals. He ran the three miles in a time faster than the very smart Ballyoptic (who carried 10lb more) did when winning a listed handicap, though that may well be in part down to deteriorating conditions.

One thing Copperhead undoubtedly does is stay very well, and his wide margin of victory was exaggerated somewhat by conditions. Nonetheless, he gets a 150 sectional rating from me, which puts him in with a shout for the RSA Chase and even more so for the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Ballyoptic emerges with 163.

There were good winning efforts in the opening novices’ hurdle, which Sporting John took with a 152 figure (the official time given is incorrect), the concluding bumper, taken by Sabrina with a 117 sectional rating, and Nordano in the useful handicap hurdle.

The last-named was helped by the increased test of stamina (and his light weight) in running a 138 figure, but this has to reflect well on the unbeaten Goshen, who beat him at this course last time and who is now my top-rated for the Triumph Hurdle.