AN even wider-margin winner than Tenor Nivernais occurred the following day at Navan, where Acapella Bourgeois came home 32 lengths and more clear of his rivals in the Ten Up Novice Chase. Again, time analysis helps in making sense of what was in many respects a very odd race.

The winner was gifted a sizeable lead early – at which stage he was running up to 10 lengths slower than par for the conditions – and continued to increase the advantage, even when the jockeys on his rivals finally got serious in pursuing him.