Irish trainers on course for another greenwash at Cheltenham Festival

If any British racing fans had convinced themselves that last year’s Cheltenham Festival was an aberration, that this year’s meeting might see British horses summoning up at least a little more resistance to their opponents from Ireland, then Saturday’s Imperial Cup result at Sandown was a shock to the system of ice-bucket challenge proportions.

On paper, it was one of the most tightly handicapped fields of the season so far: 21 runners from Britain up against a sole challenger from Ireland – which proceeded to win with such ridiculous ease that another stone on its back would have made little difference. The fact that it was called Surprise Package only added to the sense that Irish racing has started trolling its British counterpart.

Even a decade ago, when the Festival was 27 races rather than 28, Ireland’s 23-5 romp through the 2021 Festival was unthinkable. In fact, it was all but unthinkable as they went to the start for the opening race 12 months ago. Paddy Power, never a firm to shy away from a patriotic price or two, chalked up “20 or more” at 9-1 and went no further than that.

The final result was a rugby score – if the rugby match in question was Ireland v Italy. In hindsight, though, it was only the scale of Ireland’s superiority that came as any real surprise. The fact of it was almost a given.

Britain’s jump-racing industry is much bigger and richer than Ireland’s, in terms of horse population, total prize money and the sheer number of races during the season. It has also historically fielded the majority of runners at the Cheltenham Festival: it is supposed to be a “home” fixture, after all. Yet in recent years, Ireland’s progress at National Hunt’s showpiece meeting has been relentless.

It was as recently