IT was around this time last season that the race between Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott for the Irish trainers’ championship really heated up. After this weekend at Fairyhouse and Cork, this year’s race could be nearly over. Elliott leads Mullins by €521,626 and has a mammoth 13 runners in the Boylesports Irish Grand National with €500,000 on offer. Mullins only runs four in the big one, but he does have the top two in the betting in Bobbyjo Chase scorer Bellshill and Leinster National winner Pairofbrowneyes.

There is an irony in the race, that Elliott and Mullins cover over half of the field, yet both are searching for the their first win in the contest. Noel Meade has won the race before with The Bunny Boiler in 2002 and, 16 years on, he has two more good chances in Snow Falcon and Moulin A Vent for Patricia Hunt.