Pride of place this week went to the returning Kauto Star who was at his imperious best in winning the Jnwine.com Champion Chase.

The eight-year-old looked to be on excellent terms with himself at Down Royal and it was no surprise to see quotes of 4/1 for the Gold Cup quickly disappear in the aftermath of this success. He jumped and travelled especially well and just found everything coming very easily to him. Admittedly, his biggest threat The Listener failed to run his race but one could take nothing away from Kauto Star. March is a very long time away and the Betfair and King George Chases will come first but he once again sets a daunting standard in the staying division.

Mention must also be made of Gerry Stack's stalwart performer Light On The Broom who produced the performance of his life to finish an eleven length second. Full credit to connections for allowing him to take his chance and the twelve-year-old thoroughly vindicated that decision.

There was further joy for the Nicholls raiding party as the former Supreme Novices Hurdle winner Noland ran out a clear cut winner of a two and half mile Grade 3 conditions chase. At the fourth last it appeared as though Noland could be in trouble but he readily asserted once coming under pressure and drew right away after the last fence. He could do particularly well in the two and a half mile division and there could be significant improvement forthcoming from this run.

Jered's much anticipated return to action in the two mile conditions hurdle at Down Royal the previous afternoon lived up to expectations as he gave eleven pounds and a three quarter length beating to Cork All Star.

The Noel Meade inmate certainly enhanced his claims as a live player for top honours in the two mile hurdling division. He travelled through the race with the utmost ease and was value for more than the winning margin would suggest. The run looked as though it would bring him on, the ground was slower than ideal for him and it should be said he faced no easy task against the runner-up. Cork All Star did have the advantage of a previous run this season and the former Cheltenham bumper winner jumped as well as he has ever done over hurdles to run right up to his best.

Another notable winner for Meade last week was Fisher Bridge who readily outclassed his rivals in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown on Wednesday. He won what looked a decent maiden hurdle at that track several weeks ago and confirmed that promise with a very assured display. He can be expected to make his mark in graded company before too long.

On the same afternoon the high class novice hurdler Forpadydeplasterer made a successful start to his chasing career. Had the runner-up not made a bad mistake at the last he might well have taken the measure of Tom Cooper's charge.

However, the two mile trip was on the short side for the winner, there was very little pace in the race and Forpadydeplasterer's trainer has long maintained that he wants better ground than the rather testing conditions he encountered here. He jumped well early on and was clever in the latter stages when he got in close to a few fences. We should learn a lot more about him when he contests the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse later this month.

The value of Fisher Bridge's success at Punchestown several weeks previously was underlined by the third from that race, Bob Lingo, who annihilated his opposition in a two mile maiden hurdle. One of several talented young hurdlers under the care of Tom Mullins, he was unextended to win by 27 lengths. Better things lie in wait for him.

The first day of Down Royal's festival also witnessed a very taking effort from Matthieu Palussiere's mare Tramp Stamp who was in a different league to her rivals in the mares hurdle. It wouldn't surprise if she held her own in decent races outside of mares only company.

Another good mare on show was Colm Murphy's Voler La Vedette. She caught the eye when winning a mares bumper at Fairyhouse last month and had little difficulty in following up in a winner's event. She is another with a good future.

Cork played host to a decent jumps card on Sunday which saw the high class novice hurdler Tranquil Sea make quite an impressive start to his chasing career.

Edward O'Grady's charge faced no easy task against a field of very capable and race fit opponents but he disposed of them in style. Even at this relatively early stage he looks one of the top novice chasers in the country.

On the same afternoon the Christy Roche-trained Lethal Weapon made it two wins from as many starts over timber with a fluent victory in the three-year-old hurdle. A decent prize looks well within his reach this season.

Last Monday's card at Leopardstown played host to the final Group race of the domestic season, the Killavullan Stakes, and the seven furlong contest further underlined the strength of John Oxx's juvenile team. The Currabeg trainer sent out a one-two here with the impressive Naas maiden winner Rayeni accounting for Vitruvian Man in likeable style.

The Indian Ridge colt comes from a good middle distance family and looks a cracking prospect for 2009. His trainer did stress that soft ground is important to him but, even with this in mind, Rayeni looks the type to win good races next year.

In the following colts and geldings maiden the Oxx-trained Space Telescope made a winning debut in the manner of quite a decent horse. The Galileo colt appeared as though he would improve substantially for this experience and his is a name to remember for next year.

Elsewhere the yard's Mourayan confirmed himself a good mile and a half prospect for 2009 with a clear cut win in the Eyrefield Stakes which franked the form of his stablemate and Beresford Stakes conqueror Sea The Stars.

Dermot Weld also struck twice at Leopardstown last Monday and his French Derby runner-up Famous Name notched up a deserved victory in the Trigo Stakes where he proved much too strong for his opposition. He looks the type to enjoy a lucrative and industrious campaign for his trainer in 2009.

Weld struck with another Khalid Abdullah-owned runner in Casual who made an ideal start to her career in the fillies maiden. There was plenty to like about the Nayef filly's display and she could be a Stakes winner in waiting.

The final turf meeting of the year at Leopardstown on Sunday saw Charles Byrnes's Solwhit run out an assured winner of the November Handicap. He was quite a smart juvenile hurdler last season and this victory bodes well for his imminent return to jumping. Back in fifth the dual grade 1-winning hurdler Won In The Dark made an eye catching return from nearly a stone out of the handicap.

The highly progressive Almass made it six wins for the season in the Knockaire Stakes and trainer Kevin Prendergast indicated that she could well stay in training at four. She handles soft ground particularly well and she could make her mark at group level on soft ground next spring.