Be it former pointers who have graduated to the track or our top open horses proving their superiority, it was a hugely successful week all around.

Three former pointers won on day one and then a double each day from then on provided nine in total, with a further 18 Irish pointers running into places. The blue riband of chasing, the Gold Cup, was narrowly denied to On His Own, a debutante four-year-old winner at Maralin in 2009.

However, the main event for point-to-pointers, the CGA Foxhunters Chase, was not only won but dominated by Irish pointers. We went into the race with a strong hand with Enda Bolger’s On The Fringe and Liam Lennon’s Tammys Hill second and third in the betting. These two have been the prominent forces in hunter chases this season, with very little to split their form. There was strong support for both horses but Alan Hill’s Harbour Court was sent off favourite for the British to score.

There is now no denying the superiority of Irish pointers as Tammys Hill cruised up the famous run-in to win by three lengths from the incredibly brave and high-priced Carsonstown Boy with a further length back to On The Fringe. Tammys Hill was reunited with his regular pilot, James Smyth, who was substituted on his previous two starts by Robbie McNamara, but with the weights at a level 12 stone for all runners, James was able to get back on board.

With all the big guns showing their prowess during the week, the Foxhunters gives the smaller trainers and the amateurs the opportunity for a taste of the limelight. And there is no more deserving of this than Tammys Hill’s connections. The horse is owned and bred by Patrick Smyth, father of jockey James, and is trained by close family friend and neighbour Liam Lennon.

They relished the experience of running a live contender at the festival, bringing with them plenty of supporters. The scenes of jubilation following the success were well worthy of the Gold Cup itself, but for Ireland to retain the impressive Foxhunters trophy it was perfectly justified.

Also enjoying a surreal Cheltenham experience was Irish amateur Robbie McNamara who is a regular pilot in point-to-points but ranks as one of the most talented amateurs around. Ruby Walsh once said of Robbie that if he was able to ride at 10 stone (at six foot three inches his weight restricts him to amateur status) then he would retire from riding.

Robbie not only won the champion bumper on Silver Concorde for his boss Dermot Weld, but followed it up with victory in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateurs’ Chase on Friday with Spring Heeled for the same owner, Dr Lambe, this time trained by Jim Cullotty.

Following his amazing achievements, on Friday Robbie was quoted as saying it was “the most unforgettable week of my life, followed by a night I can’t remember”.