Concentration of power in a few hands is nothing new when it comes to Ireland

Life is full of contradictions. Many of those who complain about the domination of a handful of jump trainers on the Irish scene will be cheering on the same few people at Cheltenham.

It's not illogical to see the feats of Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead as both a strength and a weakness in the fabric of Irish jump racing, a source of pride and a cause for concern.

No reasonable person has an issue with the individuals involved. Yet there is legitimate unease about the system of race programming and prize-money distribution involving a seemingly accelerating bias that tips the balance even further in favour of the small band of powerful owners who can afford to pay massive prices for once-raced Irish point-to-point winners, promising AQPS horses in France and store horses with the right pedigrees and good conformation.