'He's been very impressive - we'll have to take a crack at the Champion Bumper'

There are few more upwardly mobile operators in Irish jump racing than John McConnell, whose stock continues to rise each season.

A regular visitor to Britain, the dual-purpose trainer beat his previous best domestic jumps seasonal tally of 16 winners before the end of August this term. He now sits on 23 winners, with plenty of time left to add to that haul.

A total of 14 winners over jumps in Britain last season equated to his best return for a single campaign and he has already reached eight British victories this term – four of which were achieved at Cheltenham in October and November.