No-one has the right to win a handicap hurdle at Perth - Britain should welcome Irish raiders

One of the core values and maxims of sport is that no one person or team is entitled to win. To establish superiority, you need to fend off challengers; diluting this competition results in hollow victories and an unappealing product.

Last Wednesday, trainer Richard Newland met with senior figures within the BHA, including chief executive Julie Harrington, to argue the £6 million in prize-money won by Irish yards during the last British jumps season was damaging the sport in Britain. 

Newland's primary concern was low-grade contests and he implored the BHA to "limit the ability of horses trained in Ireland to travel", presumably seeking to restrict the likes of Gordon Elliott and John McConnell, to name just two, from raiding Cartmel and Perth. Both trainers have saddled 11 winners in Britain this season, nine of them in handicaps.