THERE was a further boost for the point-to-point sector with the publication of the Horse Racing Ireland Budget for 2019, which featured a third consecutive prize money increase for the sport.

When the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed announced a €3.2 million increase to the HRI budget for 2019 back in October, hopes were high that some of the extra funding would reach point-to-pointing, in the form of this additional prize money grant for fixtures in the New Year.