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horses. “He gets the best out of every horse,” said Pipe. “And he wins with all types of horses. They are very fit. He’s got great gallops, swimming pools and good staff.

“You’ve got to have good staff and he’s also got some very good jockeys riding for him.

“He manages it fantastically well. I’ve been over there and it’s a very impressive place.

“When he won his first National with Silver Birch (2007), my son David went over for a party and when David won the National (Comply Or Die 2008) he came over for his party.

Elliott was “heartbroken” not winning last season’s title and plays down the idea that he could be the champion this time around despite becoming the first Irish trainer to send out 200 winners in a season.

“We’ve had an unbelievable season,” said Elliott. “And to win both Grand Nationals was incredible. But if I could swap every single one of those to be champion trainer I would.”

His success has no doubt been helped by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary’s decision to remove 60 horses from Mullins over a dispute concerning increased training fees in 2016, and the majority of them went to Elliott.

The pair have enjoyed phenomenal triumphs. O’Leary’s silks were carried to victory by Tiger Roll in last week’s National.

Switched

O’Leary’s unbeaten wonder horse Samcro could be switched from a novice event at Punchestown for the more lucrative Champion Hurdle at the meeting to help Elliott topple Mullins.

O’Leary remarked: “We first noticed Gordon when he won his first National. Until then we’d never heard of him.

“But it was when he started racking up loads of winners, taking crappy horses in boxes to Ayr and Perth and places like that because he couldn’t win races in Ireland with them, we thought, this is something different.”

Along with Samcro, Elliott sends a formidable team to Punchestown and if the bookmakers are to be believed – Elliott is a 1-2 chance and Mullins a 6-4 shot – there will be a new king crowned when the season finally drops the curtain on April 30.