THE possible return to action of Wonderwall could be the star draw of action in the point-to-point fields this weekend.

The nine-year-old was the first Irish-trained winner of the St. James’ Place Festival Hunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival since 2022, when he gamely held off the challenge of Its On The Line by a neck earlier this year.

Having bypassed the Irish National, for which he was given a speculative entry, the Yeats gelding could make his first competitive outing since his Cheltenham triumph tomorrow.

He is among 18 entries for another red-hot open at Damma House, where he could face the former Grade 1 winner Fakir D’Oudairies, and the history-making Winged Leader at the Co Kilkenny venue.

That Cheltenham victory was the undoubted highlight of a notable season for his trainer, Sam Curling, who had previously tasted success on the hallowed Prestbury Park turf two years earlier, when Angels Dawn landed the Kim Muir by a similarly tight margin.

Best on record

However, it was not just on the biggest of stages that the Skehanagh Stables operator excelled last season. Domestically, the 2024/25 season was his best on record in the point-to-point arena, where he saddled 34 winners.

Although Curling did win 32 races in the 2018/19 campaign, that figure was significantly inflated by the haul of his star mare Longhouse Music, whom he expertly handled to win a record-equalling 13 races during that one season.

Aside from that, Curling’s previous best tally was 25 winners in the 2022/23 season, highlighting the significant step forward that he took with those 34 winners last season, which included wins for 22 individual horses.

Such was the level of success that he enjoyed, Curling briefly offered a challenge to Colin Bowe’s tight stranglehold on the leading handler prize, when he closed to within five winners of the reigning champion heading into the final three weekends of the season.

That would be as close as he got to the 13-time champion, who ultimately extended his advantage to eight by the season’s end to secure his 11th consecutive title in the division.

It was still an impressive performance. Those 34 victories for Curling were achieved with 133 runs from 57 individual horses, versus Bowe’s 42 wins, which came from 276 runners and 117 individual horses.

Numbers game

Ultimately, it’s a numbers game and, as you can see, no other stable comes anywhere close to the Milestone team in that regard.

However, last season’s record haul did hint towards the Tipperary handler having the potential to offer an even greater title challenge in the future.

The one advantage that he has is in the profile of his horses. Whereas Bowe’s yard is almost exclusively made up of four and five-year-old maidens to be sold once they deliver on the track, Curling’s team is more varied.

Undoubtedly, well able to compete with the Wexford yards in the four-year-old division, he also has a greater spread of older horses, who can achieve multiple successes during a campaign within the winners and open lightweight categories.

New additions

Interestingly, Curling’s team for this year has been bolstered in that area by a raft of new additions, largely consisting of horses with previous form for other trainers.

Shantreusse is one notable newcomer to his team of open horses, having finished second in the Listed Nas Na Riogh for Henry de Bromhead earlier in the year. But at the other end, his Curraghmore maiden winner last Sunday, Beg To Differ, was sourced having failed to find a buyer at 3,000gns in a Martinstown Stud draft at an online auction during the summer.

In fact, three of his four winners in recent weeks have all come with horses aged six or older, sourced from other trainers, whilst his trio of entries for all three of this weekend’s older maidens have all been placed on the track for other yards.

Impact

The impact of these new additions has already been evident, with his stable having a more significant impact in the opening weeks of the new campaign when compared to previous years.

Curling has had runners at all but one of the 10 fixtures staged in October.

Last Saturday’s fixture in Peppards Castle was that exception, with his yard having sent runners to all three northern fixtures in Toomebridge, Portrush and Loughanmore, having been absent from that trio of meetings last season.

It will take a significant effort to unship Bowe from the top of the standings, but Curling’s expanding team, led by Wonderwall, is developing the strength and depth to challenge at the very top.

IT was fitting that in the days preceding the launch of this season’s Gain Mares Series, the 2025 final winner, Carry On Heidi, opened her account under rules.

The five-year-old had recorded a popular victory in the valuable final at Ballynoe last March, when Bertie Finn guided her to a two-length defeat of Some Joy.

A home-bred for the Baragry family, the daughter of Idaho stepped forward from her hurdling debut at Kilbeggan in September by winning a two-and-a-half-mile contest at Clonmel just nine days ago.

Her one-and-a-half-length victory was a first under rules for Castlelyons handler Jerry Baragry, and again reinforced the calibre of Gain Final winners.

This season will be the 36th annual Gain Mares Series, with the final once again taking place at Ballynoe in the spring, where a €3,000 bonus will be awarded to the winning owner.

Speaking at the launch, John Hore, Business Manager at Gain Equine Nutrition, said: “We are delighted to continue our support of the Gain Mares Series, which remains a cornerstone of the point-to-point calendar.

“Watching mares like Carry On Heidi progress through the series and onto the racecourse is exactly what this initiative is about, supporting the development of future stars. We wish all trainers, owners, and connections the very best for the season ahead.”

To qualify for the final, mares must be maidens at the start of the season and finish first, second or third in any point-to-point fixture during the current season.

Point-to-point ratings

CORMAC Doyle was responsible for a pair of winners within the four-year-old division last weekend, with Pitch And Toss (93+) standing out on his debut in Tattersalls.

He was always to the fore, and began to pressurise those around him when increasing the tempo from four out. This quickly found out many of his rivals, and he only had to be kept up to his work under a hands-and-heels ride to maintain his gallop to the line.

Our Peggy (83++) dominated the mares’ equivalent on the card, as she slipped the field from an early point. Having been able to get a breather along the back straight on the final lap, she was able to kick on again and return unchallenged.

Just four horses lined up on drier ground at Curraghmore for their four-year-old mares’ maiden, which unsurprisingly developed into a tactical affair that was slowly run. Girl Friday (81+) defeated the form horse in the race to win going away, whilst in the geldings’ race, Loch Ness Pineau (88+) finished in front of five horses who all had previous experience.

Yellow Warning (89+) showed a great attitude to defeat an eye-catching newcomer at Peppards Castle, whilst Itsjustthewayiam (87x) was particularly unlucky in the auction maiden.