TODAY marks the beginning of the busiest three weeks of the point-to-point season, with no fewer than 16 fixtures set to take place up to Easter Monday in just 16 days times, and this three week period will likely prove crucial in deciding many of the season’s titles.

With just nine weeks remaining, Barry O’Neill is well on-track to defending his The Irish Field Champion Riders title again, as with 44 winners on the scoreboard from the 25 weeks of the season that have been completed, he finds himself with a 16-winner advantage over Derek O’Connor.

The additional 13 winners that he has ridden over the corresponding point 12 months ago, when he sat just one winner in front of Jamie Codd, has left him in this more comfortable position, ahead of a possible hat-trick of national titles.

His great ally Colin Bowe has been responsible for 24 of those winners, with 13 other handlers supplying him with winners on no fewer than 37 different horses.

Rob James is just three winners behind O’Connor in third on 25 winners, with Codd a further winner adrift on 24 in fourth.

STATUS QUO

Much of the status quo is being maintained in the regions, where O’Neill has ridden double the number of winners of any other rider in the eastern region, and looks set add that title to his season’s haul for a third consecutive year, in what is the most clear-cut of the regional titles at present.

Derek O’Connor has won the last 10 western titles, and currently sits alongside O’Neill, John Barry and former Under-21 champion Chris O’Donovan on four winners, in what is the smallest of the four regions.

The Galway native is also in front in the south, four clear of Michael O’Sullivan, with O’Neill a further two winners adrift in third.

It is also all to play for in the north where Jamie Codd leads the way in a quest to win that regional title for the first time since 2014.

He is one winner in front of Rob James, with former northern champions Noel McParlan and Barry O’Neill all within three winners of Codd, in a title race that is sure to run all the way to the two-day fixture in Necarne next month.

Sheila Ahern and Moira McElligott are two of five riders disputing the lead in the lady riders' title race. Photo Healy Racing

LADY RIDERS

No fewer than five riders are tied at the top of the ladies’ title, with defending champion Liz Lalor sitting alongside Sheila Ahern, Karen Ferris, Moira McElligott and Lisa O’Neill on the two-winner mark.

In the under-21 category, Michael O’Sullivan has already surpassed the season-ending totals of the last four champions in that category.

His 14 winners leave him five clear of Michael Sweeney.

HANDLERS

Colin Bowe has pulled seven winners clear in recent weeks at the top of the leading handler table, as he looks to win that title for a seventh time, with Declan Queally, Sam Curling and Donnchadh Doyle completing the four handlers to have reached double figures so far this season.

Within the equine titles, Kruzhlinin is one winner clear of Longhouse Music to become the champion point-to-point horse, Getaway is the leading sire, and Longhouse Music is currently leading the way in the leading mare category.

Sam Curling was a race sponsor at Lisronagh. Photo Healy Racing

Handlers sponsoring races at Dromahane

THREE of the six scheduled races at the Killeady fixture in Dromahane tomorrow afternoon have been sponsored by point-to-point handlers from across the country, which is particularly good sport from all involved.

It is not always an easy task for point-to-point committees to find enough race sponsors to fill their six races in order to cover the costs involved in running these events, so those handlers that have supported this initiative, and other fixtures this season, should be recognised.

In all, 25 handlers are listed as having contributed towards the sponsorship of the three races and they come from across the country, including handlers based in Cork, Tipperary, Carlow, Wexford, Waterford and Galway.

This follows on from last Sunday’s Tipperary Foxhounds fixture at Lisronagh, where three local handlers, John Nallen, Pat Doyle and Sam Curling, were among the races sponsors on that card.

Handlers obviously benefit from the work of the volunteer committees to put on these point-to-point fixtures, and it is encouraging to see them supporting them where they can.