With National Hunt racing’s piece de resistances, the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree, just around the corner, trainers and punters alike are busy looking for indications of winners. Saturday’s Hunters’ Chase at Fairyhouse saw some of Ireland’s leading Foxhunter’s contenders line up for a competitive renewal of the John McCarthy Memorial Hunters’ Chase. Recent Leopardstown winner Tammy’s Hill was sent off favourite but had to settle for third place as last year’s winner and recent Kirkistown point to point winner, Warne, again landed the spoils. He will now head to Aintree for another tilt at the Foxhunters

On the back of his performance on Saturday and with his connections, trainer Brian Hamilton and owner Magill full of confidence, he looks to have a live chance on finishing closer this year.

Finishing just one and a quarter lengths behind Warne was Seabass, who finished third in 2012’s Grand National when ridden by his trainer, Ted Walsh’s daughter, Katie, putting her in the record books as the highest-placed lady rider in the world famous race. Saturday was Seabass’s first run of the season and he looks like he has a good bit of improvement in him from a fitness perspective, which will prove encouraging for another tilt at the National in April.

Saturday also hosted the Tynan and Armagh point to point at Farmaclaffley. It is a very unique point to point course; runners hack down the road to reach the start before enduring an extremely testing three miles of undulations with an incredibly steep uphill run to the final fence. I was delighted to see Colin McBratney’s Carsonstown Boy win the open race. It was due compensation for the horse and his regular pilot, Noel McParlan, who fell at the final fence last year, handing me and Hoopy the race on a plate!

As I alluded to last week, Gordon Elliott’s team of Gigginstown four-year-olds are well worth noting; they proved a serious force to be reckoned with last year, when eight of the twelve he ran won either first or second time out. The second to make their debut this season was Fact File, a Catcher In The Rye gelding who was impressive, winning at Bennetsbridge on Sunday. He was ridden by Jamie Codd, who will partner the majority of Gordon’s string which will prove a tremendous help in his championship campaign.

Despite there being three meetings on around the country on Sunday, the three leading riders, Jamie, Derek O’Connor and Barry O’Neil, were all booked to ride in Bennettsbridge where they dominated the day, leaving only one race out between the three of them. Meanwhile, in Kildorrery, trainer Eugene O’Sullivan’s 17-year-old son Eoin had a day to remember as he rode his first double. Winning his fourth open this season on The Hollinwell left him level in the leading horse championship. Also making an impression in the ladies’ title bid was Sheila Ahern, who partnered her second winner of the season on Isourbell at Killaloe, which leaves her just one shy of Rachel Blackmore and Maxine O’Sullivan. With Irene Walsh also on the two-winner mark, the ladies’ title is very open and could prove the most competitive of them all.