Aussies not to blame for dearth of top-class British hurdlers

Perception is a curious thing. It is often the forerunner of something that, on closer inspection, turns out to be quite true. At other times, it can amount to nothing more than a blatant red herring.

Take the current shortage of credible, British-trained horses for the Champion Hurdle. This recurring theme has been much debated of late, and despite The New One's heartwarming victory on Saturday, very little has changed. Only two British-trained horses are deemed worthy of a quote among the top 12 in ante-post lists.

Conversely, Irish-trained horses have won the last four Champion Hurdles and are long odds-on to add a fifth in March. The perception for this lamentable state of affairs is that vibrant resale markets in Dubai and Australia have deprived British trainers of the sort of ammunition they could once recruit from the ranks of decent Flat horses.