JP McManus leads Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown Stud in the Owner's Championship by a couple of hundred thousand euro, ahead of this week's Punchestown Festival.

McManus has pocketed a little over €700,000 in this seasons' National Hunt campaign, compare with around €500,000 for Gigginstown Stud. The Limerick financier has also 18 entries at Punchestown, compared with only five for O'Leary. McManus's winning percentage is around 12%. One of the fancied O'Leary runners is the remarkable Mossbank, an entrant in today's (Wednesday) Guinness Gold Cup.

Mossbank is one of three runners for Michael Hourigan in this festival feature, as he also sends the evergreen Beef or Salmon and Hi Cloy to post. Mossbank faces stiff opposition from the likes of Neptune Collonges, Kicking King and Snowy Morning.

Saturday's closing day of the action at Punchestown will bring down the curtain on what's been a most successful season for young Croom jockey Andrew McNamara.

His first year as stable jockey to Eddie O'Grady has yielded 22 successes for the partnership and 45 for the jockey. The highlight of the year for the new team was the double Grade One victory of novice chaser Sky's The Limit. The grey will appear at Punchestown this week but his form has tailed off and only time will tell whether he's back to his best or not.

Some punters from The Corner House in Dromcollogher made a profitable trip to Ayr Racecourse at the weekend.

Up on a dozen regulars are involved in a syndicate that owns the impressive Asian Royale, which recorded a third win on the trot in the opening €16,000 Handicap Hurdle at Ayr. "We've had unbelievable good luck with this horse, incredible really," said Joe Ryan, proprietor of The Corner House. "We've our money back a few times over, and more importantly he has given the whole community a great run of luck."

Trained by Charles Byrnes in Ballingarry, Asian Royale was ridden to his latest success by Niall 'Slippers' Madden.

Robert Power was seen to advantage when driving Eric McNamara's Prince Picaso (6/1) to victory in the O'Flynn Construction Handicap Hurdle at Cork.

He produced him with a sweeping challenge to stride ahead after the final flight to beat Penny's Bill (12/1) a comfortable length and three parts. Commented McNamara: "We fancied hi well. We have been waiting on good ground for a long time, he has to have it like that. Robert gave him a great ride and he will keep going through the Summer."

Chris Hayes piloted Russian View (6/1) to a fine victory in the Irish Autism Action Ireland Handicap at Dundalk, and was unlucky not to record a double when favourite Starluck (7/4) was nailed on the line by Le Citadel (11/2) in the JSM Construction Handicap.

In the concluding ADM Londis Fillies Maiden, Billy Lee of Ballingarry was impressive when guiding 16/1 shot Liturgy to success.

Carl Dore saddled Hot Friend to victory in the Braddish Building Company Confined Hunts Maiden Race at the Stonehall Harriers point-to-point meeting at Ballysteen.

Confidently handled by John Thomas McNamara, the winner scored by six-lengths from Michael Cregan's War Hawk, with Leo's Lad for Charles Byrnes in third place. Dore isn't long with a trainers licence but has enjoyed a fair share of success both on the point-to-point scene and inside the rails over the last year.

There was a double for Derek O'Connor with Thelobstercateher in the opening 4YO Maiden and Turning Bobs in the 5&6 YO Mares Maiden, which earned him the Leading Jockey Prize, which was sponsored by Askeaton publican and former Limerick Senior Football selector Tom Downes.

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