EASILY best winning time over fences on the opening day came not in the Arkle, as might be imagined, but in the Ultima Handicap Chase, in which Un Temps Pour Tout defied top-weight and the attentions of a notably well-treated novice in Singlefarmpayment to win for the second year running and register a 162 figure.

That is borderline Cheltenham Gold Cup quality from a horse who had been every bit as good over hurdles at his best. The sound nature of the pace in this year’s race can be illustrated by the fact that the leader got to five out in a near-identical time to 12 months before, despite softer ground and a 2.8s slower overall time in this instance.

Neither the JT McNamara National Hunt Chase nor the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase resulted in especially good times, though they did both provide Irish-trained winners.

Tiger Roll came home comfortably ahead in the former, after his nearest pursuer Edwulf went wrong, but with a 140 timefigure which backs up impressions that the form will not rival last year’s above-average running in which Minella Rocco beat Native River.

The latter race ended up a rather stop-start affair after habitual front-runner Foxtail Hill departed at the eighth. One result was that the finish was only a few lengths slower than Altior’s earlier burn-up in the Arkle.

Tully East came out on top, but with a 131 timefigure that undersells his true ability.

Incidentally, Tully East had been beaten easily the time before by Ball D’Arc in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan, and Ball D’Arc himself had run a notably fast 158 timefigure when winning another Grade 3 novice at Naas two days before Cheltenham.

It is possible that Ball D’Arc requires the mud, but that he is Festival calibre himself now seems beyond dispute.