IRISH trainers are 16-1 to beat last year’s record-breaking thrashing of their British rivals at Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins, Henry de Bromhead and Co annihilated the best of Britain 23-5 last year.
That 23 tally was four higher than they had ever managed before and was capped off with Rachael Blackmore becoming top jockey.
Already the future looks grim for the home team, spearheaded by the likes of Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton.
Ireland are a frankly unbackable 1-10 to win the Prestbury Cup.
But Betfair have totted up the chances of Ireland beating the 23-5 scoreline.
And they say it is 16-1 the Irish trainers go even better in 2022.
Really, with the likes of red-hot Champion Hurdle favourite Honeysuckle, is it any surprise?
The British could get off to a decent start on day one, with Henderson’s Constitution Hill favourite for the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
But that is a hot race and after that Ireland have the current favourites in five of the next six races.
Gordon Elliott was banned from the festival last year but he has an incredibly strong hand in the juvenile and handicap hurdle races.
Mullins excels with the mares and also boasts superstars-in-waiting such as Galopin Des Champs and Facile Vega, favourite and joint-favourite for the Brown Advisory and Champion Bumper respectively.
De Bromhead will look to repeat last year’s heroics with victories with Honeysuckle, Minella Indo in the Gold Cup (7-1) and Bob Olinger (11-10) in the Turners Novices’ Chase, to name but a few.
Mullins is a general 1-2 to be crowned top trainer, with Elliott 7-2 and De Bromhead 5-1.
Henderson, who looks to have the Champion Chase winner in the unstoppable Shishkin, is best of the British at 8-1, with Skelton 50-1 and Nicholls 66-1.
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