BEFORE you know it, we will be in the early stages of the jumps season “proper”, a cause of celebration for some and of dismay for others, though the latter do at least have some good all-weather action to look forward to also.

It is a close-run thing as to which have been the best time performances of late, with Hammersly Lake’s win at Perth (157 timefigure) just shading it from Snow Falcon’s Kerry National success at Listowel (156) and Clarcam’s Galway Plate victory (155) on my figures.