THE fastest winning time of 11 hurdles and bumpers over two miles at Leopardstown across the four days came from Saturnas in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle on the second day, though simple comparisons need to allow for rail movements, changes in going, and the possibility that overall distances also varied.

Nonetheless, this effort threatens to be underappreciated by the betting public judged on Saturnas’ continued outsider status in ante-post books for the Supreme Novices Hurdle (also quoted by some bookies for the Neptune).