As we settle into the spring season, the scarcity of runners in point-to-points continues to be the major issue with our sport. Last Sunday there were just 50 runners on the six-race card at Killeagh. That was down from 69 a year ago. Numbers at Ballinaboola held up a bit better but even their 80 runners was down significantly from 93 a year ago – and there were two Saturday meetings on the corresponding weekend in 2014 as well.

My own local meeting earlier this month in Templenacarriga had just six races and 52 runners, a fair drop from the 93 horses and eight races we had the previous year.