Irish v British Racing

I think it's certainly a thought-provoking article but would maybe want a statistician to dissect it a bit more.I also think the rising profile of the festival might be at play here and I've no doubt the Irish are much more selective about what they send over.I've some reservations about any claim that some people just want a runner regardless. There was an interesting contrast between the fields for the Ultima and the Close Brothers. I wrote at the time: I never noticed it before, but this race appears to cut up enormously from the hefty numbers engaged at the 6-day decs, hence the wide ratings band (155-134). I suspect it’s just the majority of connections accepting that they can’t win off their marks and they’re content to leave it to the plots and improvers. Compare this with the closing novices’ handicap chase. Nigel Twiston-Davies was saying when the weights came out that there would only be a 5lbs weights range on the day – last year it was only 4lbs – and his words have proved prophetic, with his fancied Foxtail Hill giving away a maximum of 3lbs.
 
A poor article that can change at the drop of the hat next year. Way too simplistic, a typical "I'm bored because Cheltenham has finished" article.
 
For proper analysis, they should start from 1995, thats 10 years before Phil Smith started to correct the bias against British horses, and now 12 years later we'd have a better view of what happened. Given how well the Irish performed this year its clear to me that Phil Smith and his team hadn't created a bias against Irish horses, but they've leveled the plain field for everyone. Imagine last year Diamond King and this year Presenting Percy, if they had remained on their Irish marks..
 
What's really surprising, to me at least is the type of horse PFN now trains.

its not like he doesn't have a few owners who won't spend money.

Tizzard has an owner willing to spend 600k on a horse. Pipe I think it was who recently spent over 300k on a p2p horse.
 
granger said:
I had planned on starting a thread on this just after CheltenhamTony Keenan (whom I rather like) has produced the below articlehttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/the-real-reason-the-irish-dominated-cheltenhamIt's a good article regardless, but are Tony Keenan and Matt Bisogno the same person, PJ? I have a similar question about two other people knocking around here.What do we all think of the recent change?
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It's a good article regardless, but are Tony Keenan and Matt Bisogno the same person, PJ?I have a similar question about two of the people knocking around here.
 
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granger said:
There are 100% a few doppelgängers on here.
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If this is any way directed at myself i'll give you a wager of any amount you want, sent by cheque to the moderator, that I have only one username on here, best put up or stop, this running down of new posters. If its not aimed at me I apologize.
 
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