STRANGE the way that life works out. In the 1998 Irish Grand National, Bobbyjo beat Papillon by a half a length, the pair of them clear.

The following year, Bobbyjo won the Aintree Grand National, representing the father/son Carberry team, trained by Tommy Carberry, ridden by his son Paul, the first Irish-trained Grand National winner since L’Escargot in 1975, who was trained by Dan Moore and ridden by his son-in-law, the same Tommy Carberry.

Then the following year, Papillon won the Aintree Grand National, the second Irish-trained National winner since L’Escargot, representing another father/son team as he was trained by Ted Walsh and ridden by his son Ruby.

Both horses were well-backed on the day, both sent off at 10/1, backed down from big prices. Both icons. We need a race named after Papillon now.

STRANGE that Thistlecrack, who is nine rising 10, and who was beaten by Many Clouds in the Cotswold Chase in January the last time we saw him, is a shorter price in some lists for the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup (there still hasn’t been a 10-year-old Gold Cup winner since 1998) than Sizing John, who is seven rising eight, and who won the Irish Gold Cup, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Punchestown Gold Cup.