GOWRAN’s meeting last Saturday is unlikely to have a major bearing on events at Cheltenham or other Festivals, but the efforts of Smashing in winning the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase and of Sempre Medici in winning the Grade 2 Red Mills Trial Hurdle were still solid ones against the clock.

Smashing ran the two and a half miles in testing ground more than 10 seconds quicker than did 122-rated Toushan in winning a handicap 35 minutes later. Even allowing for a stronger pace in the earlier race, that’s quite a difference, and Smashing gets a 159 timefigure.