While the major racing festivals at Punchestown, Aintree and Fairyhouse all have their own particular attractions and highlights, no one can dispute that Gloucestershire in March is the pinnacle of the National Hunt season.

The Irish success story in recent years there has been unprecedented and it is going to be hard this year to replicate or match last year’s achievements. Mind you, we said something similar before the start of last year’s meeting and look what happened. There are so many imponderables and so much that can happen between now and March.