'We're trying to fix things that aren't broken' - white markings a concern for Irish runners at Cheltenham

On the back of Willie Mullins' suggestion that Energumene's uncharacteristically poor round of jumping in the Clarence House Chase was down to the new white trim on the fences, Darragh O'Keeffe has spoken of his deep concern for Irish-trained horses running at Cheltenham following the fatal fall of Hemlock at Musselburgh earlier this month. 

Following research into equine vision undertaken at Exeter University, blue, bright yellow and white were found to be more easily distinguishable to horses, with white eventually chosen to replace the orange markings in Britain due to its resistance to fading. 

The trim on the hurdles and fences in Ireland remains orange, and O'Keeffe has urged the two countries to come to an agreement on the colour to ensure it is the same on both sides of the Irish Sea.