Grand National's rejuvenation is a wonderful success story - so let's please lose the hysteria

If there is one thing racing does better than most sports, then surely hysteria is it – so it will be fascinating to see the reaction in Liverpool on Tuesday, when the weights for this year's Randox Grand National are revealed by BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood.

There was plenty of consternation this month when Britain supplied just 31 of the initial 85 entries for the great race, and with only 19 of those 31 British entries rated on 142 or higher – the bottom handicap mark in three of the last five Nationals – it doesn't take a genius to work out Greenwood's list is going to be dominated, especially at the top end, by Irish-trained runners.

Of course this is not an ideal scenario from a British perspective but, when you combine 20 years of trying to transform the National into the highest-quality spectacle with the current domination at the top of the sport by Irish-trained runners, what exactly does anyone expect?