Is it any wonder that many of us squirm on our sofa, wondering if the latest British-trained winner is the one to stop the rot?

I went to see Joe Tizzard last week and had a very interesting chat about his Tingle Creek win on Flagship Uberalles. Apart from the American owner, it was a very British affair, involving the pride of Somerset, Tizzard and Paul Nicholls, seeing off the Howard Johnson-trained Direct Route and Charlie Mann's Celibate, with not an Irish-trained horse in sight.

Likewise when he won the same race the following year, for the British-based (Irishman) Noel Chance (note the manipulation of the statistics you resort to when you're losing the fight); and again the following year for Philip Hobbs. Not an Irish runner in sight.

When he won the Tingle Creek for the first time, the biggest bonus, according to Tizzard? "You have to remember, there wasn't very much coming over from Ireland that could beat you in those days."