IT has been a slow burner of a season for novice hurdlers but the signs are good that some of the better ones are now coming to the fore. It all ties in with the opportunities available, of course, and the only graded races since New Year’s Day were Grade 1 novice hurdles as it happens.

A fairly bunched finish to the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle last Sunday might encourage the onlooker to think that none of the principals was out of the ordinary, but there are reasons to be more upbeat than that, notably the time recorded by the winner Battleoverdoyen.