AL Boum Photo’s annual reappearance and victory in the Savills Chase at Tramore on New Year’s Day did not please everyone, but should have satisfied my fellow time aficionados.

On ground that was more testing than in the previous two years, he managed to run the roughly two and three-quarter miles in a time 30.3s (nearly two furlongs) quicker than recorded by the admittedly modest Whoyakodding in a handicap later on, and he was faster between every obstacle for good measure.