THAT the first two days of Fairyhouse did go ahead meant that we got to see a clutch of graded races and a couple of smart winning time performances by novices, both of which helped to shed light on the wider picture in the up-and-coming hurdling and chasing divisions.

Firstly, Al Boum Photo took the Grade 1 Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase on the opening day by a length from Shattered Love with a 153 timefigure performance.