THE jumps were back over the weekend, and we were treated with both Aintree and Cheltenham putting on a show for us, writes Page Fuller.

The horse that really stood out to me though was a horse normally associated with Grade 1 three mile chases, who was running in a two and a half mile handicap. Despite not winning, Ahoy Senor caught a few eyes in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree last Sunday. The data backs that up and, after such an encouraging seasonal debut, he is certainly one to keep an eye on.

For those of you who weren’t following last season, I will be using the RaceIQ Lengths Gained Jumping Model to help dissect the jumping action through the winter. This measures how many lengths a horse has gained or lost through jumping through a race, compared with the field it is running against. It tells us that, despite any jumping frailties he may have been associated with, he jumped exceptionally well here and was the only horse to gain any advantage on the field with it. In total, he gained about four and a half lengths through his jumping on the field and suggests that he was perfectly able to lay up and find a jumping rhythm, even carrying top-weight in a handicap over half a mile shorter than we would traditionally see him over.

The stewards questioned how he was handled and his Finishing Speed Percentage of 108.65% was the highest of the field. It is safe to say he didn’t have a hard race, so it is exciting to see if he makes hay in some of the early three mile chases in Britain.