How much should we worry about the lack of jumps stars in Britain after a season dominated by Irish horses?

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Who's your favourite racehorse, that's always a tricky question. Whether it be jumps or Flat, I think my selections would be from over 30 years ago, suggesting it's hard to beat those early infatuations.

What about your favourites from this season? That's the question I've posed in this week's poll – do please have a go if you haven't already done so.

As I scrolled through this season's high achievers, putting together a list of candidates, the detail that jumped out at me was just how few of this season's top horses are trained in Britain. There's two, Jonbon and Protektorat, in the top 13 if you order the list by prize-money won in Britain and Ireland.

I'm obviously not breaking any secrets here. In the week that Willie Mullins is to be crowned champion British jumps trainer, the first to do it from Ireland for 70 years, you'll be well aware that his horses have done well. Gordon Elliott has been mopping up the place prize-money in some of the major contests, as well as winning a hatful of races himself, and that has left slim pickings for everyone else.

Still, it's worth dwelling on the collapse in British achievement and what that might mean for the sport. Amazingly enough, you only have to go back 16 years to a time when the top 13 jumps earners were all based in Britain – the era of Kauto Star and Denman, when Comply Or Die, Our Vic and Inglis Drever were also around.

Jonbon: the first British-trained horse in the list of prize-money earners this seasonCredit: Edward Whitaker

From there to here is a tale of steady decline. This is the second time that just two British jumpers have made the top 13; it was also true three years ago, when Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon were the only ones.

It may be a continuing trend. In future seasons, perhaps no British horses will rank among the top earners.

Is that something to worry about, when we think about jump racing's wider popularity? We've always talked about the boost given to the sport by the likes of Desert Orchid and Kauto Star, and over the years there have been lots of other charismatic types, not quite the best but able to win major prizes when things fall right, your Monet's Gardens and Cyfor Maltas.

What if British racing fans had to do without anything like them for an extended period of time? Would the game lose some colour for them? Or would they be just as happy making friends with Irish-trained horses, learning their traits and their quirks?

I think we have to hope that last sentence can be proved true because, like it or not, British jumping is short of star quality and it's hard to see a reason why that should change any time soon.

Here's the top ten earners from this season:

1. I Am Maximus Willie Mullins
2. Galopin Des Champs Willie Mullins
3. State Man Willie Mullins
4. Gerri Colombe Gordon Elliott
5. Jonbon Nicky Henderson
6. Protektorat Dan Skelton
7. Captain Guinness Henry de Bromhead
8. Intense Raffles Tom Gibney
9. Teahupoo Gordon Elliott
10. Irish Point Gordon Elliott

Jonbon and Captain Guinness are both in the Celebration Chase at Sandown on Saturday and could bump themselves up a place by winning that.

If you scroll further down the list looking for horses based in Britain, Grey Dawning comes up next and it's not hard to imagine him being in the top five next year. He's already a Grade 1 winner at the Cheltenham Festival and looks a Gold Cup contender in the making.

Somewhat surprisingly, Strong Leader is the fourth Brit on the list, in 19th place overall. That shows the impact of winning a well-funded Grade 1, in his case the Liverpool Hurdle just over a week ago.

It was his only success of the season, though he also picked up good money when placed in Ascot's Coral Hurdle and the Cleeve. Olly Murphy must be delighted with the way things have worked out for a horse who started the season by finishing last in the Welsh Champion Hurdle.

Just below him in the list is Luccia, game as a pebble, who won a big pot in Ascot's pre-Christmas handicap and was also third in the Greatwood and the Champion Hurdle. Who wouldn't want to own a horse like her?

Strong Leader: won the valuable Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at the Grand National festivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Still, the idea that these two are both in the top five British jumps horses by earnings this season is quite an eye-opener. Back in 2008, the fourth Brit was the Champion Hurdle winner.

It wouldn't matter at all to me as a racegoer. Any day at Taunton, Ludlow or a dozen other places makes me happy and I don't demand the presence of some emerging star on the card.

But there probably are more demanding racegoers out there, who want to feel there's some depth of quality to the action they're seeing. I'm afraid we can expect to see a bit less of those people over the next season or two – except for those fixtures where plenty of Irish raiders come over.

In fairness, we're getting plenty of those at the moment. At Perth, they're talking about "quality like never before" ahead of Wednesday's fixture, which includes runners from the yards of Mullins, Elliott and Gavin Cromwell.

Mullins will also be represented at Ludlow and there's a long list of star names who could turn up at Sandown on Saturday, many of them from his Carlow yard, who would (if they run) be choosing Esher over Punchestown next week. Let's hope the home defence can find some worthy adversaries for them.

Read these next:

Willie Mullins continues relentless title quest with El Fabiolo, Gaelic Warrior and Impaire Et Passe entered at Sandown 

Perth hails quality 'like never before' as Willie Mullins declares four runners for Wednesday card 

What's on this week: Willie Mullins pops up across Britain in build-up to trainers' title showdown at Sandown 

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, the reigning Racing Writer of the Year, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.