A funny thing happened at Stratford on Saturday. Irish stables filled the first three places in two steeplechases - and through six different trainers who had bothered to dispatch horses to a modest summer card in the English midlands.
Yet this was not an isolated incident. The previous week, five out of seven races at Ffos Las were exported to Ireland. Perth has become a magnet for the Irish and the present trainers’ championship has Gordon Elliott’s Co Meath yard in fifth place.
Until recently, the Irish reserved their raids for Cheltenham, Aintree and Christmas at Kempton. They would not have considered Stratford on a September Saturday. The sudden influx owes something to washouts and balloting back home but Ruby Walsh, a hero on both sides of the water, believes the trend will accelerate into winter.
Walsh was in Somerset yesterday, surveying the head-spinning talent available to him as first jockey to Paul Nicholls. Owners’ day at Ditcheat has become a rousing reveillez for core jumping and, as usual, Nicholls intends to begin serious operations at the first Chepstow fixture on October 10.
According to Walsh, Nicholls can expect constant opposition from his homeland. “Trainers have started coming here regularly for better ground but also because Irish prize money has been cut so much,” he explained. “They’ll keep coming now - they’ve got the taste for it.”
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Nicholls relishes the prospect. “More competition is fine by me,” he said. And why should he worry, with 150 enviable horses to run and some missions in the reverse direction on his agenda?
Kauto Star is set to resume in Ireland at Down Royal’s November meeting, and Denman’s programme will include the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.