IN RECENT years, the distance between Irish and British trained horses at Cheltenham has grown wider and wider.
At this year’s Festival, the rivalry remains very one-sided as Willie Mullins leads the charge across the opening two days.
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2024
"It's gone terribly one-sided. I don't think that's healthy for anyone. It's not healthy for Ireland…A week like this. Talk about red alarm bells."
@kevinblake2011
Irish-trained horses dominate at Cheltenham again#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestivalpic.twitter.com/4lkD7XXOfT
"It's gone terribly one-sided. I don't think that's healthy for anyone. It's not healthy for Ireland…A week like this. Talk about red alarm bells." 
Henry de Bromhead has also enjoyed plenty of success – with Rachael Blackmore’s shock win on Captain Guinness topping the lot.
Last year, Irish horses won 18 out of the 28 races and they are following suit so far this week.
ITV pundit and horse racing expert Kevin Blake feels that this dominance isn’t good for the sport and alarm bells should be sounding.
Blake said: “As an Irishman it makes you very proud of what we’re doing back home. It isn’t taken for granted.
“I’m too young to remember the late 80s when the Irish would come here and sometimes not have a winner at all.
“It hasn’t happened overnight. What we saw yesterday and what we’re probably going to see for the rest of the week is not something that happened overnight and Irish trained horses have had more winners than the British trained horses at this meeting since 2016 and it’s gone terribly one sided.
“I don’t think that’s healthy for anyone, it’s not healthy for Ireland. We rely heavily on the business on this side of the water too.
“Some people in British National Hunt Racing don’t like to talk about this , they close their eyes, put their fingers in their ears and hope things will get better, but that hasn’t been working.
“These things have to be talked about and discussed.
“If I’m involved in British Hunt Racing, a week like this, talk about red alarm bells ringing and they should have been ringing years ago….. We’re not perfect in Ireland, but there’s real problems here.”
Blake isn’t the only one who holds this opinion as his views were echoed by ex-jockey and daughter of trainer Paul– Megan Nicholls.
Speaking ahead of the first race of day two, she said: “The panic button is definitely flashing. How can you say ‘who cares?’, we all care.
“We want to get the level competitiveness back. We don’t want a huge domination, not just from Ireland but from one yard.
“Don’t get me wrong you have to praise Willie (Mullins) for what he has done, but it’s great for the sport to have competitiveness with so many connections winning.
“There has got to be changes made. I think not only from buying the right types of horses, but getting the right types of owners over here or starting them in the sport and keeping them here, but also the programme that’s a massive part of it.
“Over the next three days, I’m sure we’re going to be able to catch up, but I’m hoping we can close the gap a bit.”