Axing Grade 1s in Ireland and taking horses out of their comfort zone is a bold but brilliant move

You spoke, they listened.

My initial reaction to hearing Horse Racing Ireland was axing the Racing Post Novice Chase next year was how can there only be one Grade 1 novice chase in Ireland before the Cheltenham Festival over the same sort of trip as the Arkle? Bonkers.

Nostalgia then took over and I began reminiscing about the day Danoli beat British rival Land Afar, over from Paul Webber's yard, in what was then the Denny Gold Medal Chase. And remember two years earlier when Klairon Davis came out on top in one of his umpteen bruising battles with Sound Man? His Song, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer, Sizing Europe, Douvan and Min are just a flavour of the other winners over the last quarter of a century.