Ruby Walsh crunches the numbers, wondering: Where have all the horses gone?
MAJOR OBSTACLES: Smallcraftwarning and Toni Quail win the Connolly's Red Mills Handicap Hurdle at Thurles on Thursday.
Saturday at Kempton will see the last few horses make a bid for a place at the Cheltenham Festival, and unless something bolts in the Adonis, I can't really see anything making a sufficient impact on what will happen in the Cotswolds in just over two weeks.
On the other hand, what happens in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse could impact the Randox Grand National, with all four runners holding a ticket for Aintree's showpiece event. It's incredible to think that 13 minutes before the Bobbyjo starts, Kempton will host the Coral Trophy, in which none of the runners hold a Grand National entry. That reflects the domination of the entries for Aintree's showpiece event by Irish-trained horses, but what else does it tell us?
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