IT’s easy in these days of multi-media, print, online and TV, to pick a few throwaway lines and create a headline that others then jump on. Easier to stir that up to encourage general disagreement. Very simple to use one headline as bait to generate a reaction and counter-argument.

Gordon Elliott gave the opinion at his Monday morning media pre-Leopardstown briefing that Irish racing was thriving compared to Britian because trainers were willing to take each other on. It prompted Paul Nicholls to responsd in the Racing Post, “We’re not frightened of anyone, we’re not ducking and diving and trying to avoid running against each other. I didn’t agree with a word of it.”

You can, though, find many examples of not taking each other on here too – sending the Gold Cup winner to Tramore on New Year’s Day is not exactly taking on all comers.

The comment that “we’ve got the best horses because you have to take each other on” from Elliott only has substance because we simply have fewer races. With two or three dominant trainers, each with 100-plus horses, they need racecourse education. So you find very competitive large field novice hurdles which is no longer the case in Britain. Avoidance is often impossible here.

But then look at Fairyhouse’s Grade 1s tomorrow and compare them with races like the Henry VII. The contrast is marked. Have horse, will run. And we have two big Festivals on the way to Cheltenham at Leopardsown at Christmas and the Dublin Racing Festival where owners want runners.

Nicholls is not one to avoid taking on any challengers but has adapted the necessary task of getting Grade 1 wins for his owners. Often it means coming to Punchestown when some of the bigger Irish guns have shirked it after Cheltenham (A Plus Tard in recent years being an example).

The argument also misses the point that prize money and attendances are better here so racing is a better experience. More and more British owners are buying expensive young horses and having them trained here - we have more of the best horses and the races for them.