Cheltenham 2020: It’s not just about Willie v Gordon — though it often feels like it is

Let's think back for a moment. Monday April 25, 2017. The day before the Punchestown Festival in the season Willie Mullins had his unceremonious parting with owners Gigginstown House Stud, losing 60 horses in a heartbeat. As we looked forward to the National Hunt finale, Gordon Elliott held a significant advantage in the trainers’ championship, which he was bidding to win for the first time.

Earlier in the season, Elliott has dethroned Mullins as leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival, though that meant little in the grander scheme of the Irish trainers’ championship — the title he covets most.