THERE are a few with better Champion Hurdle claims than Jason The Militant, but that he is a legitimate challenger I have few doubts.

His win in the Grade 3 Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Saturday came under a significant penalty and by clear-cut margins from 156-rated Petit Mouchoir and 135-rated Darasso. Even more to the point, it came in the fastest time of three hurdles at two miles by getting on for a furlong.

My 158 timefigure for Jason The Militant is conservative in the circumstances, but in line with the horses who beat him fairly narrowly earlier in the season, including 158-rated Abacadabras.

I would have Jason The Militant shorter than he is in the betting for hurdling’s blue riband.

Those other two-mile hurdles were won by Teahupoo (remains on 138 after beating Tax For Max, but time value only 77 here) and Breakeven (119).

Acapella’s time

The win of Acapella Bourgeois in the Grade 3 Bobbyjo Chase came in a good relative time – about a furlong quicker than 128-rated MacGiloney in the novice that followed – and may have a relevance to Cheltenham in that it is easier to see why Al Boum Photo took a while to put away this version of the 11-year-old in the New Year Day’s Chase at Tramore.

A timefigure of 157 has Acapella Bourgeois one of the better-treated horses in the Randox Grand National at Aintree.

Assessing Cilaos

It is more difficult to weigh up exactly what Cilaos Emery achieved in victory conceding weight to 155-rated Daly Tiger in the Grade 3 WhatOddsPaddy? Chase at Naas on Sunday, impressive though he was, as this was the only chase at the distance on the card.

The time looks modest, and my rating of 163 (14 below Chacun Pour Soi) is somewhere between a literal interpretation of the form and the same of the time.

It seems worth taking a positive view of the win of Echoes In Rain in the Grade 2 Paddy Power Betting Shop Novice Hurdle, given that her time was comfortably quickest of five over hurdles and one bumper (Gerri Colombe’s race, which was run at a crawl: he remains on 137) at two miles.

She comes out at 134 after this, with runner-up Belfast Banter looking of interest for his return to handicaps on 130.

Black Tears (135 here, 147 previously) made the most of an easy task in the Grade 3 Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown on Monday.