THE Grade 1 scene over recent years was covered here last week, the main takeaway being how hard it was for yards outside the big powers to win a top-level race. Looking at the top 100 chasers and hurdlers in Ireland based on IHRB ratings, that situation can be expected to continue in 2026/’27.

A mark of 140 gets a horse into the top 100 chasers in country, and Willie Mullins has 38 such chasers, over twice as many as Gordon Elliott, next best with 17. Henry de Bromhead has 12, Gavin Cromwell has eight, Joseph O’Brien three while Noel Meade and Jimmy Mangan have two each. Some 18 other yards have a sole chaser rated 140 or more, meaning 25 trainers are represented in the top 100.