THERE are five Irish-trained runners in today’s French Champion Hurdle, the Racing TV Grande Course de Haies D’Auteuil.

Due off at 2.15pm the race is worth €390,000 and run over three miles and one and a half furlongs.

The five Irish runners are Irish Point, Hewick, Home By The Lee, Mr Incredible and Mahler Mission.

Irish Point is strongly fancied to give trainer Gordon Elliott a first win in the race, a contest which Willie Mullins has won five times in the past 21 years.

Mark Walsh takes the ride on Irish Point as the horse’s regular rider Jack Kennedy is suspended until July 18th.

Hewick finished fourth in the race last year and trainer Shark Hanlon is optimistic his stable star can go closer today. He told BoyleSports: “Hewick travelled over really well and we can’t wait for the race. There are plenty of good horses in it, but he was fourth here last year and we think he’s improved plenty since then. He ran a brilliant race in Punchestown [third behind Fastorslow and Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup] and if he turns up in that form here, he has a massive chance.”

Sky Sports Racing is covering this weekend’s Auteuil races but the Champion Hurdle may not be shown live if it clashes with racing at Newbury, which is now shown on Sky.

There are no overseas-trained runners in Sunday’s feature race at Auteuil, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris over three miles and six furlongs, but Philip Fenton has entered Karl Des Tourelles for the Prix Alain du Breil, the champion four-year-old hurdle.

On Monday at Saint-Cloud, the Jessica Harrington-trained Village Voice looks to hold leading claims in the Group 2 Prix Corrida over an extended 10 furlongs.

Preview >>64 | Autueil cards >>74, 76