Footpad has the ability to tread Grade 1 path of Mullins' chasing stars

Rushing to judgement on the basis of one performance is not always a wise move but as chasing debuts go one had to be mightily impressed with the display delivered by Footpad at Navan last weekend.

We knew he was a useful hurdler with two Grade 1 wins to his credit and some very decent efforts in other top-level races. On the evidence of his Navan performance he is going to be a better chaser.

His jumping was flawless and the way he quickened away for Daryl Jacob between the last two fences, attacking the last in the style of a seasoned two-mile chaser and throwing an impressive leap before lengthening away up the hill to score by 11 lengths was, in that much abused word, awesome.