BY my reckoning, at the time of writing, Irish-trained horses are favourites for 12 of the 18 non-handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival. That position was consolidated as a result of the successful Dublin Racing Festival, though winning at Leopardstown in February is not the same as winning at Cheltenham in March, of course.

To a degree, the Brits fought back in the last week, though the same caveat applies that winning at Huntingdon, Warwick or Newbury in February is not the same as winning at Cheltenham in March.