Britain's supposed fightback was the worst false start at Cheltenham - and the data says Ireland's grip will only get stronger

It was meant to be the start of a British revival but now the dust has settled on an absorbing Cheltenham Festival, the chasm between Ireland and Britain at the top end of jump racing feels as wide as ever.

It would be foolish to think Ireland's domination of jump racing's crown jewels will last forever but the bulk of the evidence from this year's festival suggests the wheel of fortune is not about to turn back in Britain's direction any time some and, for all that Golden Ace's Champion Hurdle heroics gave hope to the underdog, the power indisputably remains across the Irish Sea.

A lot of well-respected voices predicted Britain would close the gap this year, yet the key metrics going into the meeting foretold what ultimately played out at Cheltenham.