'It was slow ground' - McConnell bemused by lack of home runners at Cheltenham

John McConnell toasted another glut of Irish-trained winners at Cheltenham and expressed surprise at one race failing to feature a single runner from Britain.

Half of the 14 races over the two days of Cheltenham's opening meeting of the season were won by Irish-based trainers and three of them hailed from McConnell's yard in County Meath.

It offered an early-season echo of recent Irish dominance at the Cheltenham Festival, cemented in March by 18 wins in 28 races, including success in the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase.