LEOPARDSTOWN’s Christmas Festival got under way on Tuesday with an exciting card, of which the highlight was undoubtedly the success of Footpad in the Racing Post Novice Chase.

A one-on-one comparison with the following handicap chase, also at 17 furlongs, has Footpad 35lb quicker than Tisamystery, and I have gone for timefigures of 156 and 121 respectively. There can be little doubt that Footpad should be capable of even better than he showed here, however.