LAST Saturday was all about the better English middle-distance and staying chasers putting down early season markers, Grey Dawning, Jango Baie, and The Jukebox Man winning impressively, but the Irish contingent was not long in stating their own claims via an interesting John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Some ‘race of the season’ commentary seemed excessive and says plenty about the diminished expectations of jumps fans, where the anticipated clashes fail to materialise as often as not, but the final third of the race was fascinating as viewers waiting for the ‘will he, won’t he?’ question to be answered.