TEA For Two’s win can be compared with that of Might Bite in the Friday at Aintree’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase but only if adjustment is made for rail movements (the Bowl was run over slightly further) and a minor quickening in the ground in the 24 hours between the two races. Might Bite ran 4.1s quicker but comes out fractionally lower on timefigures at 164.

That is, nonetheless, a very large figure for a novice chaser in the normal scheme of things, if surpassed by both Altior (170) and Thistlecrack (166) in what has proved to be a vintage season. Whisper (162 timefigure) might well lead the way in an ordinary campaign.

Might Bite showed few of his previous quirks, and sectionals confirm he again went a strong pace, despite it all seeming comfortable for him. He is highly talented and not far off Cheltenham Gold Cup winning standard already.

Other notable winning timefigures on the Friday came from Pingshou in the Top Novices’ Hurdle (a mere 116 timefigure in a tactical race which needs treating with caution), Fox Norton in the Melling Chase (156, 1 below his best) and The Worlds End in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (147).

The last-named ran just 3.9s slower than Yanworth did the following day on very similar ground despite covering 47 yards further on account of rail movement. Although little more than a length covered the first four home in the Sefton, it looks some of the strongest novice hurdling form in what has been a slightly substandard season for the division.

Lalor is likely to be regarded as one of this campaign’s best bumper horses after his win in the Grade 2 NH Flat, with the Cheltenham Bumper third and fifth behind him. But this was a steadily-run affair (timefigure of just 105) and seemed to play to his strengths more than others’.

Incidentally, the Cheltenham Bumper runner-up Debuchet had done no harm for that form when winning a listed NH Flat at Limerick in the week with a respectable timefigure of 111.