THE publication this week of the entries for each of the novice hurdles at this year’s Cheltenham Festival has drawn much discussion around the overall drop in the number of horses being entered in the three feature Grade 1 novice hurdle events.

There were 61 entries for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, down from 96 last season, 95 for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, down from 120, while the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle entries have reduced from 74 to 52 this season.

In spite of this overall reduction, the influence of Irish point-to-point exports remains as strong as ever.

Just under one in every three entries for those aforementioned Grade 1 races across each of the distances from two miles up to three, relates to a horse that started their careers in the point-to-point fields here.

As would be expected, the impact is most notable in the three-mile Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle where more than half of the initial 52 entrants are ex-Irish pointers.

Covid-19 interruptions throughout the last two years may have impacted the number of horses that were able to run in a point-to-point here, however the quality has remained a comforting constant as evident not only in these entries, but the sheer number of live contenders within them.

Not only is the ante-post betting for each of three Grade 1 contests headed by a former Irish pointer – with Constitution Hill in the Supreme, Sir Gerhard in the Ballymore and Ginto in the Albert Bartlett – but when you add into the mix names such as Jonbon, Journey With Me, My Mate Mozzie, Hollow Games and Gerri Colombe you see the depth of pointers currently contained within this year’s novice division.

With Irish pointers having enjoyed a clean sweep of victories in each of these Grade 1 novice hurdle events at the last two editions of the Cheltenham Festival, the hat-trick of hat-tricks certainly looks a definite possibility.

THE victory just 14 days ago of La Feline at Aghabullogue propelled her to the top of the mares’ division this term, having got the better of in-form geldings in that open contest.

It could be a very different task facing Sam Curling’s charge tomorrow at Ballyvodock as she is one of eight horses entered in the mares’ open on the card.

The retirement of pointing mares of the calibre of Longhouse Music and Sliabh Mhuire Lass in recent years, coupled with Chapter Two competing under rules this year, and the connections of Kates Hill suggesting that she will follow her to the racecourse, has significantly depleted the division at present.

The absence of last year’s champion mare The Forge Hill from the entries for tomorrow’s race is another blow, and it has left La Feline featuring in a race that is of a level more accustomed to a mares’ winner-of-one race rather than that of open grade.

As we know, most track-winning mares are retired to the paddocks rather than moving to the open division between the flags, as is the more traditional path for ageing track geldings.

However, with six further mares’ open races to come this season, the division will hopefully be bolstered by some new additions to build it back up once again.