JUMP racing supporters are going to be enthralled over the next few weeks as the various trainer and rider championships conclude, both inside and outside the rails.

In the point-to-point field both the major titles are up for grabs. Barry O’Neill continues to hold a four-winner lead over Jamie Codd and eight over Derek O’Connor as he bids to become champion for the first time.

There will be plenty of twists and turns before the champion is eventually crowned on the June bank holiday at Ballingarry.

The handlers’ title looks between Colin Bowe and Declan Queally. Declan has an amazing strike-rate of more than 50% winners-to-runners. This is some feat.

On the track, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins are having a rare old tussle in their quest to become champion trainer. The Irish Grand National and the big races at Punchestown will decide this one.

Willie knows his racing

LAST Sunday at Castletown-Geoghegan I bumped into local TD Willie Penrose, the Labour spokesman on Agriculture, and I debriefed him on the current crisis in the greyhound industry.

The conversation turned to horses and I was impressed by his knowledge of the predicament the on-course bookmakers find themselves in. He understands that racing would be the worse for their total demise.

Willie informed me that he was present at the point-to-point for a day of learning as he hopes to become an acting steward. He had a good schoolmaster on the day, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke.

Easter Monday should

be a Laois winner

THE longer evenings brought out bigger crowds on the last weekend of March but unfortunately not at the two Brosna Foxhounds fixtures which I attended. Both these meetings had a very disappointing attendance.

There is just seven weeks of the season left and there have been a few adjustments made to the fixture list, mostly relating to the Galway hunts.

The North Galway Foxhounds were unable to proceed with their meeting on March 12th, just before Cheltenham, due to the rough weather that affected the country at that time. Instead they race tomorrow, April 9th.

On March 30th the Galway Blazers race at Loughrea, this date having been freed up by the East Galways.

I am pleased to see that the Laois Foxhounds have bitten the bullet and are now racing on Easter Monday. I think and hope this will be a profitable move for them. They race in one of the most picturesque settings on the circuit and they are always well supported by locals and travellers alike.