WE live in an age of hyperbole, in which anyone with superior talent may be described as a “genius” and anything which is better than the norm may get labelled as “special”.

In that context, Newbury’s “Super Saturday” tag is perhaps bearable, if only just.

The average Timeform rating of the winners at the Berkshire racecourse last weekend was 140.4, which puts it in ninth place in terms of quality judged by that measure among jumps meetings in Britain and Ireland in the last three months. Kempton on St Stephen’s Day (152.0) and Cheltenham Trials Day (150.4) lead the way, incidentally.

Still, Super Saturday - or just Slightly Superior Saturday if you prefer - did provide some decent sport and talking points, including from a time analysis point of view.

When a horse thrashes its rivals in a Grade 2, as Houblon Des Obeaux did in the Betfair Denman Chase, it is sensible to look to the clock for confirmation that the performance was as good as it looked. In this instance, that confirmation is not really forthcoming.

The time was much quicker than that of Out Sam at course and distance later on the card, but that other race looks to have been run in a particularly poor time.

Compared to the two-mile Game Spirit Chase, won by Top Gamble, Houblon Des Obeaux is worth a 157 timefigure. That is not to be sniffed at, but it is not exactly “super” either.

What’s more, sectionals show that Houblon Des Obeaux ran his rivals into the ground and that margins were exaggerated as a consequence. It was no mean feat to win a race of this standing by 28 lengths, but Houblon Des Obeaux probably ended up with little to beat.

Don Cossack (175 timefigure), and Cue Card and Vautour (both 174), continue to lead the way among staying chasers.