The Unibet Champion Hurdle, the headline act on the opening day of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, pits a hat-trick-seeking champion against a superstar mare as well as a mare with superstar potential

For two meetings so close to Cheltenham, Gowran Park and Naas host two decent cards this weekend. The Kilkenny venue is first up and From Eden can follow up last week’s success when he lines up for the second division of the Xenon Security Handicap Hurdle.

The winter season in Thurles swung into gear yesterday and there was a familiar feel to proceedings.

Donnchadh Doyle appears to have a plethora of talent at his disposal this season and the north Co Wexford-based handler sent out two winners at yesterday’s West Waterford Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Lismore.

Derek O’Connor consolidated his advantage at the head of the point-to-point riders’ table by partnering a three-timer at yesterday’s well-attended Carbery Hunt point-to-point meeting at Bandon.

The ‘Shark’ Hanlon-trained Luska Lad rolled back the years by destroying the opposition in the four-mile open at the opening session of the Kinsale point-to-point festival at a wet Farrangalway on Saturday evening.

Point-To-Point racing returned to Tralee racecourse on Saturday as the North Kerry Harriers meeting took place at the now-defunct Ballybeggan Park venue.

Having ended last season with 50 domestic winners to his credit, Bryan Cooper has started the new campaign in good form and doubled-up on board Horendus Hulabaloo in Tipperary last night.

The Pat Doyle-trained Six Gun Serenade gave ample indication that a bright track career lies in wait by winning the four-year-old geldings’ maiden at yesterday’s well-attended Killeady Harriers point-to-point at Ballyarthur outside Fermoy.

Handler Denis Prendergast and rider Kevin Power were in splendid form at yesterday’s well-attended Inch point-to-point fixture, run under the auspices of the Killeagh Harriers at Ballyanthony, as they combined to record a double.

Crrigeen Acebo is providing the Lalor family from outside Clonmel with some tremendous sport this season and the seven-year-old recorded her fifth consecutive point-to-point success of the campaign by winning a thrilling mares’ open at yesterday’s Cloyne Harriers meeting at Dromahane.

The coveted Gain Mares’ Final occupied centre stage at yesterday’s well-attended Ballynoe point-to-point fixture, staged under the auspices of the United Hunt at Garryane, Killavorilla and Kilclare.

Vautour was most impressive in the 2014 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and, despite his blip at Leopardstown in December, remains really exciting. The quicker conditions should prompt improvement, and recent reports are positive.

The Dick Lalor-trained Carrigeen Acebo cemented her position as undoubtedly the best point-to-point mare around at present by recording a tenacious success in the open lightweight at yesterday’s well-attended Premier Harriers meeting at Horse And Jockey.

Foxrock will be supplemented for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after owner Barry Connell ruled out a tilt at the Gold Cup.

The Willie Mullins-trained Nickname Exit sets the standard in today’s bumper in Clonmel, the Powerstown Flat Race.

Equestrian: The annual Tallow point-to-point meeting, run under the auspices of the West Waterford Foxhounds, was shrouded in a dense fog yesterday severely restricting visibility.

Point-To-Point: Eventful. That’s the only way to accurately describe the open lightweight race at yesterday’s Dungarvan Farmers point-to-point at Kilossera in which owner/trainer Padraig Higgins’ Gentle Cloud continued his meteoric rise up through the ranks by beating Glenwood Knight.

In-form handler Michael Winters must have felt like Bill Murray’s character in the widely-acclaimed film Groundhog Day at yesterday’s well-attended Killeagh Harriers point-to-point meeting as, for the second Sunday running, he struck with a hugely-exciting newcomer that had many of those present searching for previously unused superlatives.

Mesmerising. That’s really the only way that one could justifiably describe the performance of the Michael Winters-trained For Carmel at yesterday’s well-attended Muskerry Foxhounds point-to-point fixture on Jack Murphy’s farm at Aghabullogue as the towering bay hardly broke sweat on his initial career outing in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

For many, it was a case of the best wine being reserved until last at yesterday’s well-attended Lisgoold point-to-point fixture that was staged at Templenacarriga for Follow The Swallow readily put his rivals to the sword in the closing 18-runner seven-year-old and upwards maiden.

The Liam Burke-trained newcomer Nambour lit up yesterday’s well attended but bitterly cold Kanturk-Duhallow point-to-point meeting at Dromahane by destroying the opposition in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

All roads led to Boulta for the annual Clonmult/Dungourney point-to-point fixture yesterday and the Denis Leahy-trained newcomer Hawkhurst produced a stunning debut victory in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Point-To-Point

The Golden Vale Foxhounds point-to-point took place at Glenbane outside Holycross on Saturday and the Pat Doyle-trained Indy Five made amends for his unfortunate final fence mishap when well in command at Rathcannon last month by landing the opening four-year-old maiden-

"I didn’t think we would have many winners this week, he was our banker", said Pat Flynn, after his Gusty Rock had landed the Family Fun Afternoon Maiden Hurdle at the final stage of the Tramore festival yesterday.

Aghada 1-11 St Vincent’s 1-8

Wayne Lordan produced Wannabe Better with a well-timed late surge to collar Eastern Rules and Brendan Brackan in the featured Ballycorus Stakes in Leopardstown last night.

Dessie Hughes’ Knockanarrigan can complete a hat-trick in the 18-runner Castlerea Handicap Hurdle at Roscommon tonight.

On an afternoon that saw Jamie Codd crowned point-to-point champion for the first time, Mikey O’Connor dominated yesterday’s second stage of the two-day Ormond Foxhounds fixture at Ballingarry in north Co Tipperary by partnering two winners.

Cillian’s Return, bought out of Bill Farrell’s by J P McManus after taking a bumper at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, made a winning start for his new connections when easily taking the Michael Maher Building And Construction Services Maiden Hurdle at Tipperary last night.

There were some shock results at yesterday’s well-attended United Hunt Club’s point-to-point fixture at Ballindenisk outside Watergrasshill.

Castlehaven 6-15 St Vincent’s 1-10

It may well happen that we will hearing a lot more about Boris De Blae and Rabunda, a pair of newcomers, that finished first and second in that order in the four-year-old maiden at yesterday’s Duhallow Foxhounds point-to-point.

Fethard-based veterinary surgeon John Halley had an afternoon to remember at Saturday’s Tipperary Foxhounds point-to-point at Lisronagh, sending out two winners.