The times are a-changin' as seats of power have shifted to Ireland

Sweeping statements about the shape of the future are usually best left to soothsayers or our old friend Nostradamus.

But could it be that jump racing – in particular its seats of power – is undergoing a change more profound than is generally realised?

There is a lazy assumption that Irish dominance of the sport is cyclical and that in time the pendulum will swing back and British trainers will hold sway once again. That is how it has been in the past but for once the past may not be a reliable guide to the future.