The publication of the Anglo-Irish Jump Classifications is always eagerly anticipated and the 16th such listing was dominated by horses trained in Ireland. Eight of the 10 category winners are trained in Ireland, with the Willie Mullins stable very much to the fore. Don Cossack was the highest rated horse in two categories, while the other Irish-trained winners were Vautour, Un De Sceaux, Jezki, Faugheen, Nichols Canyon and Douvan.

It is also revealing to look at the top of the tables on the breeding front and this shows how challenging it is to breed horses to perform at the top table. The emergence of a strong market in French-breds over a number of years is exemplified by an analysis of the top percentile of runners in four different categories. The sole Irish-bred horses to top their categories were the hurdlers Faugheen and Jezki. Excluding novices and juvenile hurdlers, this was the group where Irish-breds excelled, with seven of the top baker’s dozen of hurdlers bred here. Five were bred in France and Arctic Fire is a product of Germany. Indeed, Don Cossack, the highest-rated chaser is another German-bred and among the top dozen chasers, excluding novices, half of them were foaled in France, three in Ireland and two in Britain. What does the picture look like among the young pretenders? The top three novice or juvenile hurdlers are French-bred and they account for four of the top 10. The remaining half-dozen were split evenly between Ireland and Britain.

Over the larger obstacles the outstanding Gold Cup winning novice chaser Coneygree was bred in Britain, while the remaining 11 of the best dozen novices were made up of seven French-breds and four Irish.

This is a snap-shot in time and an analysis over a number of years may show the figures skewed in other directions. Nonetheless, the competition is fierce for the hearts and minds of owners, trainers and bloodstock agents and this is a timely reminder that no country can take it for granted that they have a monopoly on quality.

Moving the bar higher all the time must be the aim of the National Hunt sector, whether in the quality of our stallions or of our mares. The enhanced racing programme for mares is proving to be a success and how good was it to see a filly top the store sale at DBS this week? Annie Power, Glens Melody and Morning Run were among those representing Irish breeding last season.