THESE are still early days in the jumps season “proper”, though some novices in particular are starting to put up noteworthy performances against the clock.

As mentioned previously, the level of jumps ratings is higher than on the flat: roughly 35lb higher, in line with the differences in official ratings between the two codes. As a further guideline, the average figure for winners at the Cheltenham Festival in the last five years have been 160 for novice chasers and 154 for novice hurdlers.