The idea of even a partial ban on Irish-trained runners in Britain is an affront to the basic principles of competition
The Flat campaign on turf is off and running and the first Classics of 2024 are less than six weeks away but Ireland’s dominance at the Cheltenham Festival remains a fierce issue of debate, thanks in no small part to the Grand National-winning trainer, Dr Richard Newland, who seemed to suggest in a blog posted on the Racing TV website last week that Irish-trained runners in Britain should be strictly limited, and perhaps even banned altogether.
“Personally,” Newland wrote, “I would have that blanket [ban] for all races. But if we are to allow them to race in the UK once a year, maybe let that be at the Cheltenham Festival with perhaps one runner allowed per trainer in each race – not coming over every Saturday and winning everything.”
