Byrnes gamble should be seen in context of wider issues

Last week's Roscommon gamble has been widely discussed. Commentators and pundits have had their say, with the public contributing to an evolving debate through social media.

Analysts have detailed the minutiae of a treble involving War Anthem in a maiden hurdle and a pair of handicap hurdlers, Mr Smith and Top Of The Town, who arrived at Roscommon with ratings of 83 and 100 respectively. In the overall context of Irish hurdling ratings, 83 is close to the bottom of the barrel, while Top Of The Town, the only previous winner among the trio, had come down 6lb in the ratings since achieving a career-high 106 in the wake of a maiden success at Downpatrick 13 months ago.

Even the most cursory examination reveals a phenomenal transformation of form, perhaps most glaringly in the case of War Anthem, a former John Murphy-trained Flat maiden beaten an aggregate of 139 lengths in his first two runs over hurdles, ridden on both occasions by 7lb claimer Gary Noonan, whose 61 rides in Irish jumps races since 2013 have failed to yield a single win.