GOOD time efforts over hurdles and in bumpers were less in evidence than in chases in the last couple of weeks, but we still ended up with a new divisional leader among novice hurdlers and among bumper horses.

The former is Cracking Smart who took the scalps of the Willie Mullins-trained pair Robin Des Foret and Fabulous Saga in a listed Novice Hurdle at Cork on November 5th. The timefigure comes out at 143, though that is stated with less confidence than usual as this was the only three-mile hurdle on the card.