one take on handicaps would be that the irish standard of 2 miling is so high right now - even if not a vintage era generally but prob stronger than uk - that it drips down to the handicapping division. maybe if wicklow brave was in different yard they'd have started this year aiming at CH but obviously mullins already had 3 in the yard...and he had supreme winner and second in the yard so the likes of max dynamite/sempre medici weren't aimed that way either. just a product of his amazing firepower. the same with killultagh vic in the martin pipe race. in a different yard, that horse is aimed at supreme/neptune - notable that those races had small fields this year.
by contrast, only one irish runner in pertemps and beaten out of sight...3 mile hurdlers weren't much good and unless i'm mistaken ireland didn't have a handicap chase winner bar the cross country. some of the chasers came close, gallant oscar, grand jesture, few others but not exactly sure they were well in. racing uk were making a big deal of the irish horses being well handicapped but actually think its just the dominance in the hurdling department generally thats the main factor.
by contrast, only one irish runner in pertemps and beaten out of sight...3 mile hurdlers weren't much good and unless i'm mistaken ireland didn't have a handicap chase winner bar the cross country. some of the chasers came close, gallant oscar, grand jesture, few others but not exactly sure they were well in. racing uk were making a big deal of the irish horses being well handicapped but actually think its just the dominance in the hurdling department generally thats the main factor.
