SO what next for the two horses who dominated the Ladbrokes Trophy? Total Recall may have to improve by more than 10lb in order to be a Gold Cup horse, but he could. He is only eight and that was just his eighth chase, and just his second for Willie Mullins.

Racing off a mark that was 18lb higher than the mark off which he raced when he won the Munster National on his previous run, the handicapper has raised him by another 9lb to a mark of 156. That puts him within hailing distance of the top staying chasers around, that puts him in Cheltenham Gold Cup territory, because it is probable that he is not finished improving yet.