'It's virtually impossible to be champion in Ireland'

Gordon Elliott believes he has not a "hope in hell" of unseating Willie Mullins as champion trainer this season, but continuing improvement could in time enable him to mount a serious challenge, the Co Meath man indicated at his owners' day on Sunday.

Heavy rain poured down at Elliott’s Cullentra House stables, but it did stop the trainer from sending many of his stars down the catwalk to parade for a sizeable crowd, among them Grade 1-winning hurdler Prince Of Scars, last year’s Coral Cup winner Diamond King and exciting novice hurdler Death Duty, all of whom will be expected to make a decent contribution to Elliott's 2016/17 haul.

In the wake of Wrath Of Titans' Kerry National triumph, Elliott leads Mullins by €80,725 in the trainers’ championship, but he is realistic about his prospects, saying: “I’m not stupid and I know that Willie’s coming to get us with the ammunition he has. I know that I haven’t a hope in hell in beating him this year.