Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst for the jump season

In the so-called good old days, Listowel was always regarded as the real start of the National Hunt season.

But that is no longer the case and, hugely successful and all as the recent festival was, you would be hard pressed to name one National Hunt horse of note that turned up at the meeting.

That is not to be in any way critical of Listowel, it is just the game has changed and so long has the campaign become that trainers have to see the bigger picture.