THERE is little doubt what was the race of the week in Ireland, with the showdown between Irish Grand National winner Our Duke and the top novice staying chaser Presenting Percy in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park delivering all that was anticipated.

Our Duke emerged victorious by a length, and was carrying 7lb more to boot, but the runner-up ran the better trial with Cheltenham in mind.

Neither horse was likely to thrive at the distance of just two and a half miles, and that was compounded by a steady pace - it was 3.5s (over 15 lengths) behind the preceding novice chase at four out but almost identical come the line - which is reflected in a timefigure of just 140.

I have reintroduced Our Duke at 161 and left Presenting Percy on 153.

The difference in achievement between an average winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup (for which Our Duke is around 8/1) and an average winner of the RSA Chase (for which Presenting Percy is around 3/1) has been something like 16lb in recent years. Presenting Percy is very nearly up to standard for the RSA, but Our Duke still has a bit to find for his engagement.

That earlier novice chase at Gowran Park was won by Some Neck with a useful timefigure of 141, though there is every chance that runner-up Up For Review (135 timefigure) would reverse placings ridden with a bit more restraint.

Heavy though the ground was on the chase course at Gowran Park, the times suggest it was even heavier on the hurdles and bumper track; on which far and away the best time was posted in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle by Forge Meadow, who ran the two miles in a time 14.7s (about a furlong) quicker than Saldier did in the maiden hurdle later.

That amounts to the difference between a smart 150 timefigure for the former and a modest 84 for the latter (who is undoubtedly a lot more promising than the overall time alone might imply).

Conditions were similarly testing at Navan the following day, when Diamond Cauchois won a Boyne Hurdle that was so steadily-run that it returned a timefigure of just 62 (and a finishing speed of 109.9%).

The Ten Up Novice Chase had just four runners, but turned into a thorough test (finishing speed of 100.5%) and went to Monbeg Notorious, who repeated his 149 timefigure from winning the Thyestes Chase at Gowran the time before. The impression is that no trip will be too far for the son of Milan.