Another Festival flop is looking on the cards for Irish raiders

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War Of Attrition in 2006 and Kicking King the previous year are recent Gold Cup winners while 2006 Champion Chase hero Newmill and a host of Champion Hurdlers this century have seen Ireland claim their fair share of honours in the four top races at the Festival.

But all that changed last year as English-trained horses claimed victory in the big four events and the blank could extend to another year as the Irish challenge in the championship races begins to look increasingly threadbare.

Kazal's third place in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, formerly the Stayers' Hurdle, 12 months ago was the closest they came to lifting a championship race and, with Binocular in the Champion Hurdle, Master Minded in the Champion Chase, Kasbah Bliss in the World Hurdle and Kauto Star or Denman in the Gold Cup dominating the ante-post markets, bookmaker Cashmans is offering 3-1 about the Irish lifting a feature contest.

A Cashmans spokesman said: "In other years it would have been 1-10 about that, but it is not the case anymore.

"Apart from Big Zeb we don't look to have a lot in the Champion Chase and, if they're talking about watering the track already, it wouldn't look encouraging for Notre Pere in the Gold Cup.

"We don't look to have much in the World Hurdle apart from Powerstation who is 33-1. So our best chances look to be in the Champion Hurdle and Binocular is a hot favourite for that."

Sublimity's Champion Hurdle victory in 2007 for trainer John Carr and jockey Philip Carberry was the last time the Irish flag was waved after a championship event at the Festival and it could be that they have to wait until 2010 for a repeat.