Eala Beag seems to be improving with practically every run.

Heavy overnight rainfall ensured that ground conditions were extremely demanding at yesterday’s Kildorrery point-to-point meeting, run under the auspices of the Duhallow Foxhounds on the Vaughan family’s lands at Rockmills Stud.

It was a red-letter occasion for 20-year-old Johnny Hurley at yesterday’s Avondhu Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Knockanard for he rode his first winner aboard Jimmy Mangan’s Gabrielleamee in the closing six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Kerry SFC: Milltown/Castlemaine 0-18 West Kerry 2-12

The Tom Busteed-trained Buster Dan Dan showed that he’s on a clear upward trajectory by landing the winners of one at the Stonehall Harriers point-to-point fixture outside Askeaton yesterday.

Milltown/Castlemaine 1-11 Laune Rangers 0-09

PJ Hayes thought nothing of it at the time. Kids haven’t a clue what their future holds when they’re six and so, when his son said he wanted to be a jockey, PJ smiled and thought nothing more of it.

Colman Sweeney received the ideal boost ahead of partnering Salsify in the Cheltenham Foxhunters in a little under two weeks time by steering Garrett Ahern’s newcomer Now Ben to a hugely-impressive success in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at yesterday’s West Waterford Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Lismore.

Our Vinnie displayed his customary stamina and toughness to land the Grade 3 Liberty Insurance Novice Hurdle narrowly in Limerick yesterday.

Laune Rangers 2-9 Milltown/Castlemaine 0-8

Kilshannig1-14Ballyhea 2-10

The Raymond Hurley-trained 2006 Cheltenham Foxhunter winner Whyso Mayo went down fighting on what was his final career race at yesterday’s Carbery Foxhounds Clonakilty point-to-point meeting on the picturesque Inchydoney Island when beaten two and a half lengths into second spot by Kaitlin’s Fancy in a vintage renewal of the open lightweight.

The Robert Tyner-trained Embracing Change is virtually unbeatable at Dromahane and the seven-year-old recorded his fifth victory at the popular north Cork venue at yesterday’s Kanturk – Duhallow meeting by destroying the opposition in a vintage renewal of the open.

The Gain Mares’ Final as always occupied centre stage at yesterday’s well-attended Ballynoe point-to-point fixture and, on an afternoon that saw pristine ground conditions thanks to the track having been spiked and watered in the week preceding the meeting, the featured event was won by Daryl Deacon’s Co Wexford challenger Miss Palm.

In front of his local home crowd, Mikey O’Connor dominated yesterday’s marathon 10-race point-to-point fixture at Liscarroll by partnering no less than five winners.

A man with a history of “incredibly sadistic and violent behaviour” has been jailed after gardaí caught him attacking his own mother as she was trying to escort him home.

Damian Murphy played like a captain and he spoke like a leader of men too even if he did describe himself as “over the hill and overweight” in the midst of his speech from the Hogan Stand.

TRAINER David Christie appears to have a cracking sort on his hands in Oscar Fern who impressed by winning the second division of the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden at yesterday’s Westmeath Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Castletown-Geoghegan.

THE Jimmy Mangan-trained Oscar Delta lit up yesterday’s well-attended Kildorrery Point to Point meeting, staged on the Vaughan family’s farm at Rockmills Stud, by sluicing home in the Open Lightweight.

THE 2010/11 point-to-point season came well and truly alive at yesterday’s well-attended Lisgoold meeting, which was staged on a new left-handed course at Leadington.

A VIRTUAL ‘Groundhog Day’ type scenario repeated itself at yesterday’s Dungarvan Harriers point-to-point meeting at Affane as Jimmy Mangan’s Rudi Trucker repeated his success of 12 months ago in the open lightweight.

THE last two Kerry football champions collided in this heavyweight Austin Stack Park clash yesterday, but the superiority of Feale Rangers ensured they were always going to be the ones standing at the final bell.

THE Margaret O’Sullivan-trained Oscar Delta confirmed the positive impression he created when shedding his maiden tag at Ballindenisk in December by landing a very competitive renewal of the winners of one at the Carbery Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Kilpatrick yesterday.

THE Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Juveigneur booked his passage for next month’s Cheltenham Foxhunters by recording a facile success in the open lightweight at yesterday’s Kildorrery point-to-point, run under the auspices of the Duhallow Foxhounds on the Vaughan family’s lands at Rockmills Stud where it has been staged since 1979.

THERE was some competitive fare on offer at the first session of the two-day Kinsale point-to-point meeting at Fort Arthur yesterday and Claras Chesnut really brought the meeting to life for many by making every post a winning one in the featured four-mile open.

RIDER Richie Harding dominated yesterday’s well-attended Muskerry Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Birch Hill outside Grenagh by partnering a three-timer.

ON FEBRUARY 8, 1998, Imperial Call ran his final race under the guidance of Fergie Sutherland, who had famously trained him to success in the 1996 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

WHATEVER NEXT (6/1) lit up yesterday's Knockanard point-to-point by registering a hugely-impressive debut success in the first division of the five-year-old geldings' maiden.

A teenager who set fire to his drinking companion and burned him "to the bone" has been sentenced to 11 years by Judge Frank O’Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

JT MCNAMARA and Damian Murphy both partnered doubles at the Muskerry Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Dromahane yesterday.

JOHN THOMAS McNAMARA, who received widespread acclaim for his Cheltenham success on Spot Thedifference, was again seen at his strongest when winning the Garryrichard Stud Tertratema Cup yesterday on 8/1 shot Good Step.

BLAZING LISS, well beaten by Cheltenham failure Justified at Punchestown previously, produced a sparkling display to easily land the valuable Milk Omega EBF Mares Novice Hurdle at Limerick yesterday.

“RUBY WALSH again, what more can you say”, exclaimed trainer, Michael Philips, after he had watched the maestro pilot his Red Square Lady to victory in the Sand and Gravel Products Hurdle at Cork last night.

THE layers again took on another of Aidan O’Brien’s juveniles – the Storm Cat colt Dark Cheetah – in the Fermoy Maiden at Cork last night.