SANDOWN PARK 13:50

Non Runners: DALILA DU SEUIL (FR). Fences: 13.

Time: 4m 0.6s Closing Sectional: (2.75f): 42.4s (100.4%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 109%, Betfair SP 101.4%

One of the big 2 proved much closer to the finished article than the other, ensuring a potentially revealing match didn't meet expectations, compounded by Kalashnikov perhaps not being right physically, though the clock alone demands a positive view of the dominant Glen Forsa, whose striking display came in a significantly quicker time than the progressive winning favourite of the preceding well-run handicap.

GLEN FORSA (IRE) vaulted himself from Cheltenham handicap contender to lively Arkle/JLT hope with a performance well beyond his years/experience, his drubbing of Dell Oro - not far behind when they'd met in a Kempton novice handicap on Boxing Day - arguably a more revealing guide to his improvement than the margin back to the seemingly off-colour Kalashnikov, a high-powered display for a novice either way; there won't be a better jumper in the novice ranks at Cheltenham, testament to Henrietta Knight's work behind the scenes, and it was that key attribute under a forcing ride that set him apart, attacking every fence, putting pressure on his main rival and drawing right away in the straight after winding it up from 5 out.

KALASHNIKOV (IRE) was up against a remarkably assured novice and the fight between them swung on 2 fences in the back straight, Kalashnikov stumbling on landing at the seventh and belting the next, appearing to lose his action briefly after the former; it's testament to his ability and attitude that he'd got back within a length at the third last, but he again wasn't foot-perfect there and was blown away by the relentless winner on the home turn; it remains to be seen if anything comes to light, though this certainly shouldn't be considered a terminal knock on his potential to prove himself a high-class chaser.

DELL ORO (FR) was found out in better company, made to look second rate by a rival (Glen Forsa) who hadn't been all that far ahead of him at the end of their Kempton meeting, the winner improving fast but Dell Oro not running his race, either, as he jumped slowly and found himself outpaced some way out.