Twenty Horses to Follow for the 2021/2022 Season

There is nothing quite like the feeling for a National Hunt fan as the jumps season approaches rapidly come the end of September and into October. There is a brilliant feeling of hope, anticipation and most critically, belief. Every horse is a potential superstar at this time of the year, and it is just trying to find those horses that will realise the promise and deliver when it counts.

Due to the reception that I received for previous years ‘Horses to Follow’ - I was only more than glad to start penning this year’s renewal and despite my best attempts to keep this list to 10 or 15 horses, it has expanded to 20 just like that. There are some more obvious than others, and there are some that will split opinion.

However, these are my 20 jumps horses to follow this year - I hope you enjoy and give your feedback where you see fit.

*Horses listed in alphabetical order and not in any sort of ranking system*

Bareback Jack

5YO Gelding

Donald McCain / Tim Leslie

Form: 1114-

OR: 136

Despite this list not being compiled in any sort of order of merit, it is mere coincidence that this is one of the horses that I’m most looking forward to this year. I think this horse could be one of the most exciting novice chase prospects in the North this year, with his hurdles form continuing to stack up throughout the year. I think he could be a major money spinner for connections this winter and is one to definitely keep the right side of.

Having won a Point to Point (PtP) in Ireland early 2020, he was bought by current connections and was saved for last winter to come out for his rules debut. His first year on the track was nothing short of superb, winning three of his four races and showing a brilliant aptitude and enjoyment for jumping and for racing. His first start at Musselburgh, beating Long Stay in cosy fashion with Brian Hughes not having to push too many buttons. He then went to Catterick and won under a penalty with no fuss whatsoever and barely had to enter second gear, let alone get serious. That left him with a 100% record, but it was hard to gauge how good he was and how much he was going to improve.

The acid test was always going to come on his return to Musselburgh for the Scottish Supreme Novice Hurdle, which saw him pitched in against some very good recruits such as Third Time Lucki. Bouncing out in front on this occasion, Bareback Jack jumped like a bunny rabbit all the way around, looking constantly within his comfort zone before pushing clear on the turn for home. His spring heeled jump at the last sealed the deal, beating Tommy’s Oscar into second and leaving the odds on favourite on the floor back in fourth. That form looks decent at this stage and showed off his quality at a good level.

His last run of the year was at Kelso, in the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle contest on Morebattle Hurdle day. He was unlucky to bump into one of the strongest fields this race has seen in recent years, with My Drogo winning the race in incredibly impressive fashion. That horse backed up this performance at Aintree, while second and third, Do Your Job and Castle Rushen also boosted the form nicely. Bareback Jack was perhaps a little bit underwhelming that day and perhaps it was due to what had been a hard and long season at that point. Wisely, he was kept under wraps for the rest of the year and will now be coming back this year to try and add some more wins to his name.

He might well fall short at top Grade 1 level this year, but Bareback Jack is a horse that will win plenty of races in his time and is definitely one to keep the right side of wherever he turns up.

Big King

7YO Gelding

Barry Connell / Barry Connell

Form: 241238-

OR: 121

The first horse from slightly left field on this list is Big King, trained by the former amatuer jockey and now owner/trainer, Barry Connell. Connell’s horses have been around for a long time at this stage, and he has had some very exciting horses over the years that have done very well, especially at his local track of Leopardstown. I’m quite keen on some of his horses this year, and I think one could have a profitable season keeping the likes of Enniskerry, Hgranca De Thaix and Mount Pelier on your side when suitable races are found.

However, out of all of them, I think there is a lot more room for manoeuvre off the mark of 121 for Big King - who was very progressive last year and should not be finished with winning races heading into this new campaign. Big King started the year last year with two eye-catching runs in maiden hurdles behind Railway Hurricane and The Shunter before moving into handicap company. He made an absolute mockery of an opening mark of 104 when trouncing a big field at Navan by 5 lengths and backed that up with a solid second in a big field handicap hurdle at Leopardstown 11 pounds higher.

For some reason, he didn’t travel all that fluently at Leopardstown and came home like a train, which was probably the reason why connections sought the step up in trip next time out at Naas over 2m3f. Having looked like the winner all the way off a mark of 119 on this occasion, he swamped in the last fifty yards to finish third - when trading very short in running. His subsequent eight at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival was respectable but perhaps a bridge too far for that season, and has received a well deserved bit of time off since then.

It is hard to know what route they will go down, as this horse would have been purchased and nurtured with chasing on their minds. At the age of seven going eight, it would seem the ideal time to get him over fences and potentially into handicaps as quickly as possible. He is certainly not a horse to rule out under either code of jumping, and is certainly one to always keep an eye on at Leopardstown, where his trainer and owner targets so much.

Dysart Dynamo

5YO Gelding

Willie Mullins / Ms Eleanor Manning

Form: 1-1

OR: - Top RPR: 135

Dysart Dynamo is a horse you would have to be excited about looking forward to this season, as he may well look to scale to the top of the Graded Novice Hurdle ranks this year. Having been a bit of a backward sort, Dysart Dynamo only made his racecourse debut this March, as a five year old, when running in a Clonmel bumper. He was well backed that day and did the job in decisive fashion, beating a decent yardstick in More than a Memory.

It is always hard in those instances to quantify just how much a horse has achieved in one outing and despite beating More than a Memory, it was 27 lengths back to third, so the form could have meant anything. Going to Punchestown was always going to be the acid test for Dysart Dynamo, to see how much was under the bonnet when push came to shove.

His performance at Punchestown was one of the most taking of the entire festival because given how hard he had pulled for so long, he showed a remarkable turn of foot to turn away a serious field of horses. Gordon Dai Dai was in second that day, who is a good horse in his own right, with plenty of previous winners not able to get near to a touch on this big unit of a horse. The frightening thing is that he may still have any amount of improvement left in him. Given that he showed big signs of immaturity and he is a big framed horse who will only grow with time, would put him in the ‘extremely exciting’ category.

This is definitely one of the most obvious ones on this list but as a shrewd Twitter judge denounced a few weeks ago, “If Dysart Dynamo is not on your horse to follow lists for the upcoming season, you’re doing it wrong.” I tend to agree on this occasion, as he is a horse that could well scale to Cheltenham heights this season. I understand on this occasion that I’m not saying anything most people don’t already know with this horse, but he is a fine talent and one to watch with the closest amount of scrutiny throughout the season.

Easy as That

6YO Gelding

Venetia Williams / Kate & Andrew Brooks

Form: 11/241-

OR: 130

If one were to look up the definition of a ‘raw’ horse, you wouldn’t have to go too far to find a photo of Easy as That, who is a horse of massive ability despite doing a lot of things wrong during his races. One senses that when putting it all together, that this horse might well be a much better horse than his current rating of 130 would suggest. I am hopeful that this year, a fence being put in his way might well be the catalyst for his mind to sharpen up.

Easy as That could not have been more impressive as a bumper performer, winning two from two starts in decisive fashion. He made his debut at Ffos Las, winning comfortably by four lengths before defying a penalty on the second time of asking. Winning bumpers under penalties in the UK is easier said than done and the way he dispensed of Onward Route would have given you a great indication of how good a horse this might be.

Given he was so impressive in his bumper days, it was a disappointment to see him jump so poorly in his three runs over hurdles last year, and as a result he only won the one race from the three. His debut effort at Bangor was full of blunders at his obstacles, and he wasn’t able to repel the very smart, Any News. He then went to Chepstow when struggling again from the front and finishing in fourth in a decent maiden hurdle. This gave him a rating of 114, which was a tempting handicap mark for these connections not to resist. He duly obliged in fine style on handicap debut, winning by nine lengths despite another indifferent round of jumping.

He has shaped like a horse that will need fences to get him to concentrate, because he is a horse who has not been respecting his hurdles to any sort of degree. I would be disappointed if this horse wasn’t better than a mark of 130 in the future, and he would be able to contest some decent handicaps in time if getting things together. He might be one to watch first time out before backing him throughout the winter, proper soft ground seems to suit best.

Fils D’Oudairies

6YO Gelding

Joseph O’Brien / Claudio Michael Grech

Form: 481/F125F-F

OR: 140

When approaching a National Hunt season, alongside trying to find hidden gems to make a big impact on the Graded Stage, everyone is also trying to find horses who might be able to mark in some of the big field handicaps throughout the year. In Fils D’Oudairies, I think I have found one that could easily be well handicapped off a mark of 140, despite having plenty of jumping issues in his time since joining Joseph O’Brien last year.

Having been a winner in France in his younger years, he joined Joseph before last year, in the powerful ownership of Mr Grech, who has pumped a lot of money into this yard to try and find some big winners. Early prospects were high for this guy, and he showed a lot when falling at 2 out on his chase debut behind Colreevy at Punchestown. He backed that effort by putting in a good performance to win a Novice Chase at Naas in decisive fashion. He was so impressive that connections decided that he had earned a chance at a Graded contest on the back of that.

That Graded race was against no other than Envoi Allen, and this horse is probably most known for giving that named rival a proper race at Punchestown, when closing on him at the back of the last. However, he ended up getting beaten by around 3 lengths on that occasion. He was then pitched into Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival, and did not give his proper running when finishing down the field in fifth. After these mainly encouraging efforts, he was thrust into big field handicaps at Cheltenham and Punchestown. Jumping let him down on both occasions, and despite showing some clear promise - he fell at the last on both efforts.

This season should be different for this horse who will have hopefully learned from those experiences and will be ready to strike off a lowered mark now of 140. He should be well at home in decent 2m4f races this year and if putting a decent round of jumping together, could well be one to win a decent handicap chase at some stage this season. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them think about a step up in trip with this horse, but from the evidence we have, I think middle distances will suit the most for now.

Gaston Phebus

5YO Gelding

Jonjo O’Neill / Oisin Fanning

Form: 3/11-

OR: - Top RPR: 126

Another interesting prospect for this season who has not been since November of last year after what had been an extremely promising start to his rules career over in England. Last year, I was very taken by a piece of PtP form in Ballycahane, where Docpickedme beat Patroclus and Gaston Phebus in a tight finish. All three of them went on to win novice hurdles last year in England, but arguably Gaston Phebus was the most interesting after his two wins from two starts.

He made his debut for these connections at Carlisle back in October last year, where after being the favourite overnight - he took an alarming drift out to 11/1 before the off. Usually when seeing this sort of a drift on a Jonjo O’Neill runner, one might expect a more tentative ride. However, on this occasion he was given an educational but winning ride, as he picked up in impressive fashion to win going away. It was a performance of note and really impressed those on the track watching him.

A month later he returned to the same track over the same distance and this time around he had a penalty to deal with. During the winter, it is often tricky for any horse to win a novice hurdle with a penalty, so the fact that this horse was able to do so in such impressive fashion, was a taking performance. He beat a horse called Wetlands, who so agonizingly is not still with us, and was as smart a prospect as there was up north last year. He beat him by four lengths giving him weight, and I think that is very smart.

It is hard to know what route Gaston Phebus will go down this year, and hopefully he stays sound and is able to show us the full making of his ability. He could well take in a few handicap hurdles before going down the chasing route later on in the season. He could well be a horse that plenty have forgotten about going into this season, but could well take a bit of beating wherever he turns up.

Get My Drift

5YO Gelding

Mouse Morris / JP McManus

Form: 3314-2

OR: 133

Mouse Morris is a trainer that I always hope has good horses in his yard. Underrated by many these days, Mouse can still produce good horses to win good races and often brings his horses through at a slower rate than usual. He often doesn’t care too much for Bumpers and Novice Hurdles, with chasing the real aim for the majority of his animals. Over the last few years, the likes of Sam's Profile, Gentlemansgame and French Dynamite have all come through slowly and have all taken in some nice races along the way. Get My Drift is another that can be added to that list.

Making his racecourse debut this year at Wexford, this horse ran a very respectable race when finishing a close up third behind Hazran and Homme D’Une Soir. It was interesting to see how well this horse travelled into the race that day, and given the fact that Mouse would not have horses ready to go usually on their first start - it was an excellent run. He bettered that effort next time out, when finishing third in a very good novice hurdle at Gowran Park. Sea Ducor and Galopin Des Champs were the two horses ahead of him that day, and that form worked out incredibly well throughout the season.

Having run so well in those two runs, it was a shock to see this horse go off at 9/2 for the opening maiden hurdle on Stephen's Day in Leopardstown. He didn’t disappoint and in the hands of Jody McGarvey, this horse did it readily and jumped superb in the process - winning by two and a half lengths. It would have been easy to rush this horse off to a Cheltenham Festival Novice or Handicap, but Mouse resisted that urge and took the approach of taking the softer route. Having not stayed in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse over 2m4f, Get My Drift ran a huge race in the conditions novice at the Punchestown Festival to finish a close second behind El Barra, with MC Muldoon back in third.

It’s hard to know what the plan will be for Get My Drift this year, as I would not put it past Mouse to give this horse one more year over hurdles to develop and mature more. I think this horse will be best over fences in time and it wouldn’t surprise me to see this horse take the step up to 2m4f more in stride this year. If shrewdly placed, which he will be given his connections, he will be winning plenty of races in his time.

Gordon Dai Dai

5YO Gelding

Willie Burke / William MacDonald

Form: 1-25

OR: - Top RPR: 124

Considering just how excited I am about Dysart Dynamo for Willie Mullins, it would have been remiss of me to not look at the horse he has beaten and see whether they were horses that needed close examination. I thought that Gordon Dai Dai was top of that list and even though he was recently beaten on his hurdling debut, I think he is an excellent prospect going forward this year.

Willie Burke has been an excellent trainer with the horses he has had over the last number of years, but he would not be known massively for his ability to prepare bumper winners, especially first time out. Last year though was a breakthrough, as he had a few nice types win bumpers on their first starts, including this gelding at Galway. He beat Shakespeare’s Word that day, who was a consistent sort in bumpers for Padraig Roche.

That was back in October time and it took until the Punchestown Festival before we saw this horse again, when running the winners bumper against some very smart types. The world had obviously forgotten the impression that this horse had put down at Galway, as he was allowed to go off at 50s with no confidence in his chances to run a big race. He proved the nay-sayers wrong on this occasion, putting in a big effort to chase home Dysart Dynamo.

I was confident that after that performance that he would be able to make up into a nice horse this year, and despite a slightly flat effort in fifth on hurdling debut, I still think there is plenty to come from this horse. I am looking to put that performance down to a couple of things, with his jumping not looking slick and he looked like he would need the run. Paul Townend was very sensible on him, and didn’t knock the horse around when his chance was gone. He should be up to winning a maiden hurdle this year and beyond to better races.

Mercury Lane

7YO Gelding

Paul Nolan / Brendan McNicholas

Form: 2/332221-

OR: 125

Plenty of the horses already on this list have been horses that might be making a mark more at 2m/2m4f - and perhaps not too many of them over staying trips. With Mercury Lane, all he does is stay, and stay very powerfully as well. A slow burner in bumpers and novice hurdles last year, Mercury Lane will be a fascinating recruit to the Novice Chase ranks this year and could be one to keep an eye on when entering some of the big handicaps over the next year to 18 months.

As an avid Paul Nolan fan, it was always going to be a tricky decision to pick which one of his horses to put on this list, but the answer came quite easily to me given the regard he is held in down at the yard. He is a lovely type of horse who jumps well and is often left to do his own thing out in front at home. He has a wonderful temperament and is a real old school 3m chaser in the making. There is no doubt that this is a horse that we will be seeing in races such as the Thyestes and Paddy Power’s over the next few years.

Looking at his form last year, he bumped into a few useful types in his two bumpers, before finishing second in three maiden hurdles in a row. Some might think that a list of that many seconds doesn’t look good for a horse's will to win, but this horse was just waiting for the right opportunity and in the right grade. He smashed up a weak maiden hurdle at Limerick in a demolition job from the front. That has lifted him up to a rating of 125 over hurdles, which I would have thought was fair for what he has achieved - but he should take higher rank over fences.

With this in mind, I think he is a horse to keep in your mind when looking at Novice Chases this winter, as he is the type to go well on any soft terrain and should be a horse that jumps well. Paul Nolan has had a brilliant summer given the horses he has at his disposal. He showed off just how well he can find races for each of his horses, as he has managed to get wins into horses that are not at a brilliant level throughout the summer months. Now it will be the turn of the nicer types this winter, and I hope this gelding is leading the charge.

No Risk Des Flos

6YO Gelding

Olly Murphy / Mrs Diana Whateley

Form: 341215-

OR: 128

Olly Murphy is another trainer that has to be afforded the greatest amount of respect with his stock given the growing nature of his yard. He has plenty of lovely young horses that given the right conditions and the right races, will turn into lovely animals. This gelding, No Risk Des Flos, would be ranking near the top of their impressive young stock - with this horse looking to excel for a switch to fences at somestage soon in his career and to carry on winning races.

No Risk Des Flos had a very solid season to start off his jumps career last year. After being well backed for a bumper up in Carlisle, he could only muster third in a stop start race and would have always had his ability better judged off his hurdle runs. He was fourth to Dusart on his first start over hurdles before taking that experience in stride to win at Uttoxeter on his second start over hurdles. That was a taking effort for a horse so inexperienced and registered him a good RPR of 125 in the process.

After winning a novice hurdle in England, it can be hard to find a way to defy a penalty without having to be hoisted into a better quality of race. No Risk had to take his penalty to Leicester on heavy ground, where he met the progressive Fontaine Collonges from the Venetia Williams stable. The two of them had a titanic tussle all the way down the Leicester straight, with the latter just coming out on top. There was no mistake next time out for the Olly Murphy trainer horse, as he was back on the winning thread when foiling Rockstar Ronnie from the Skelton stable.

After a disappointing final run at Perth at the backend of the season, which I would have thought was a hard season catching up on a young horse, he was put away and will be back this year to win more races. Whether they try and win a few more hurdle races off an attractive mark of 128 or send this horse immediately chasing is unknown, but I would be in favour of the second option on this occasion. He is a lovely big horse who should be suited by the larger obstacles, and I look forward to seeing his strut his stuff this season after another summer on his back.

Pay the Piper

6YO Gelding

Ann Hamilton / Ian Hamilton

Form: 223/U311112-2

OR: 140

I would like to preface this small piece by saying how much of a fan I am of Ann Hamilton as a trainer. With the horses she has at her disposal, she has done a serious job with these horses and places them to great effect to constantly win races. As much as I have selected Pay the Piper, horses such as stable flagbearer, Nuts Well, Tommy’s Oscar, Bavington Bob and Hello Judge all have bright seasons to look forward to and will be winning plenty more races.

Pay The Piper was an inexpensive purchase from the Irish PtP fields, where it had taken him six times to get his head in front. Having done so, he was sold to current connections and went off an easy to back 13/2 on hurdling debut at Sedgefield at Christmas time last year. He defied a drift in the market that morning to win comfortably from Word Has It and Comprond - with the form stacking up nicely throughout the remainder of the season. He then went to Carlisle under a penalty, and defied it by beating Castle Rushen, which was superb form and he showed a very willing attitude on that occasion.

It was off into handicap territory for Pay the Piper, who had been given an official rating of 129 after his novice victories, and was now having to take on more experienced rivals on this occasion. His lack of experience told with a very indifferent round of jumping, but he was somehow galvanised to win by a head from Shantou Express, with the pair well clear. It was an excellent effort given the lack of efficiency in his jumping. Off an eight pound higher mark at Newcastle, it was a very similar case, but on this occasion he went down by a head after a terrible jump at the last - but it was still a performance of great credit.

Pay the Piper is one of the horses on this list who has already started off his season, and he did so with a gallant second on chase debut in the big Novices Handicap race at Perth. Having jumped very soundly, which was the main positive to take from the race, he couldn’t quite get past Perth regular, Minella Trump, and came second by three lengths. This was a performance of quality, as there were many lengths back to third and it was an excellent try on his first start over fences. He will be winning a lot of novice races this year, and could scale to a good height.

Petibonome

5YO Gelding

Henry De Bromhead / Robcour

Form: F1D/222-

OR: - Best RPR: 132

Petibonome is a horse that we will be hearing plenty of about at some stage during his career, as he is a lively type for connections that continue to grow and grow in the Irish National Hunt game. Having been purchased from from the PtP fields last year, Petibonome is a still a maiden in Ireland after three runs, but they were performances of credit and will be winning plenty of races in due course given he improves at a natural rate with another year on his back.

Having been sold after his disqualified PtP win in March, Petibonome made his debut for current connections in November in a Clonmel maiden hurdle. Clonmel on heavy ground can sometimes be an awkward starting block for some of these young horses, and Petibonome somewhat struggled in the conditions given how inexperienced he was, to finish second despite being sent off odds on. He improved on that form massively to finish second in a maiden hurdle to Cape Gentleman, when only being beaten 2 lengths by that subsequent Grade 2 scorer.

He was given a bit of time between his second and third run, to strengthen up physically and to come back a fresh horse, which he did a novice hurdle race at Naas in February. Given a strong ride from Rachael Blackmore, he again just failed to get his head in front, when getting chinned by You Raised Me Up - who went on to start off SP favourite for the County Hurdle on his next start. That was a performance again full of promise and one that should ensure him winning a maiden hurdle this year very quickly.

One would have to assume that connections will continue to campaign this horse over hurdles for the time being, especially given he is now a second season novice and could potentially win a few nice races if placed accordingly. Whether he has the experience to be thrust into handicap company just yet is unknown, but one could certainly not rule him out especially off a favourable mark. I would be sure that we have not seen the best of him yet.

Opposites Attract

7YO Gelding

Dermot McLoughlin / Slattery Bloodstock Limited

Form: 325/43113/322420-

OR: 134

Another horse that will be entering a season as a second season novice, Opposites Attract looks a horse that is tailor made for staying distance and staying chases. Last year, after some promising efforts, connections will have been disappointed that he didn’t get his head in front, but now they have the opportunity to exploit that misfortune, and he could be one to follow in both staying novices and in big handicaps with more experience under his belt.

It can often be tough for a six year old to be tackling staying novice chases so early in their career, but Opposites Attract started his time over fences in tremendous fashion last year. On Chase Debut, he was a close third behind Latest Exhibiton, in a race that has worked out pretty well over time, before a mistake at a crucial time denied him victory over Assemble at Fairyhouse a month later. His next three runs were slight backward steps after that, with disappointing efforts at Navan, Fairyhouse and Wexford, where he was a losing favourite on two of those three occasions.

With a mark of 135 being registered after all of his beginners chase efforts, connections decided to roll the dice at the Irish Grand National, which can’t be disputed given the amount of money being run for and the fact that novices have a decent record in the race. He ran a respectable race to finish 10th, and would have learnt plenty from the experience, where he encountered some difficulty at times and in the main, jumped very soundly.

That effort should give him a good base to work with this season and my feeling would be that he will take on a beginners chase before being lined up at races such as the Troytown and Thyestes throughout the season. If he has a good year, even a crack at the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham may not be beyond the bounds of possibility. With connections still searching for that first win over fences, they will be anxious for this horse, who has plenty of natural ability, to show that on the track.

O’Toole

5YO Gelding

Stuart Crawford / Simon Munir and Isaac Souede

Form: 1-2

OR: - Top RPR: 131

I think by now everyone had assumed that this horse was always going to be on this list. O’Toole is simply a horse that I have managed to adore even though we have only seen him twice on the racetrack so far, and he should have plenty more to show us both this year and in years to come. Trained by Stuart Crawford, who has become a master at getting horses prepared first time out for bumper wins and then to sell them on, he has worked the oracle on this horse.

Like plenty of others in this yard, O’Toole ran away with his bumper in impressive style, winning by 15 lengths at the line taking a long time to pull up by Jordan Gainford after passing the winning post. However, unlike so many from this year, this horse has stayed with the same trainer for now, as the infamous colours of Munir and Souede have pumped more and more money into this growing yard in Ireland. It’s great to see when smaller trainers get backed to keep their best horse, and I am now hoping that this horse can produce the goods on the track this season.

Often when a horse makes such a splash in a bumper in Ireland, it’s always very interesting to see whether a horse can back up the performance or whether it was a flash in the pan. With those reasons in plenty of peoples mind, O’Toole went off a friendless 33/1 in the Champion Bumper at Punchestown, with people looking to side with proven form rather than potential He way surpassed many expectations, running a massive race to finish second in the end.

He is now going to embark on a novice hurdle campaign and it will be bery interesting as to where he finds himself in the pecking order and whether he can make up into being a Cheltenham Novice this year. There is nothing to suggest that he can’t turn into a very good horse, but I know that plenty are still holding out reservations until they are proven wrong again. That’s a fair way of analysing the horse, as he is still relatively unknown. However, I have taken a far more optimistic view and will be hopeful that he can turn into a serious horse this year for up and coming connections.

Stepney Causeway

4YO Gelding

Dan Skelton / The Gredley Family

Form: 51111-

OR: 138

The Gredley Family, who so often would be associated more so with their flat horses, have made a decent splash into the jumps game in recent years. Their flag bearer, Allmankind, has been a very luctravtive horse for connections and last year, it looked like they may have unearthed another front-running juvenile hurdler of some ability, with Stepney Causeway. After a fairly adequate start to his hurdles career, Stepney Causeway racked up four wins on the spin at the backend of last season, and will come into this year with plenty of good dilemmas for his trainer and owner.

Having been a decent horse on the flat for Michael Bell, Stepney Causeway moved to the Skelton yard and would have had major stamina doubts over hurdles given his flat career was mainly campaigned around 7 furlongs. His debut effort over obstacles at Ascot left a bit to be desired, jumping left throughout and failing to see his race out after running too keenly.

However, the key to him seemed to be making the running, and when being put out in front - he racked up a succession of four wins in a row. His run style would not be too dissimilar to that of Allmankind, and his tearway tactics proved equally as lucrative as his stablemates. He saved perhaps his best performance for last, when trouncing the solid mare, Mrs Hyde, up in Perth on his last start of the season, earning him a rating of 138.

It’s hard to know where he will be campaigned this year and connections must be contemplating sending this horse over fences to receive all the allowances of a four year old over the larger obstacles. Other than that, it is a potential plan of heading towards something like the Greatwood Hurdle, where his ability to carry weight in a competitive handicap hurdle will be tested. Either way, he is an exciting horse that will definitely be winning races this season.

The Big Story

5YO Gelding

Noel Meade / Robert Watson

Form: 256-

OR: - Top RPR: 115

One of the more abstract selections on this list and perhaps I am hanging onto a few words that I heard from Noel Meade last year about this horse which has convinced me to put this horse in the list. The Big Story has only ran the three times so far in his life, with a really good second place in his opening bumper being followed by two lesser efforts. Returning this season, The Big Story is still a maiden and will be able to have a proper novice hurdle campaign on this occasion.

The Big Story is a nicely bred horse and made his bumper debut in a competitive affair at Punchestown around a year ago. He came second on that occasion to Ever Present, who has franked the form in bumpers and on the flat since, and was arguably a little bit unlucky on that occasion. He was ahead of good horses such as Joseph Conrad and Magic Tricks, which would outline him to be a nice enough sort.

However, he fluffed his lines on his second start in a bumper, when finishing a disappointing fifth behind Dixie Flyer. Even though that was a poor effort, he was behind good horses with the winner and Enniskerry have won race since, and it looks like an above average bumper for the track. He was then in search of a maiden hurdle but my Noel Meade’s own admission, this horse struggled to get into a maiden hurdle in his favoured conditions due to the balloting system. As a result, he ended up running in a 2m4f maiden hurdle on heavy ground at Navan. He travelled sweetly and jumped decently in the main, but faded into sixth on that occasion - and he will be more at home back down in trip and on nicer ground.

With that taken into account, this horse should be well able to win a maiden hurdle and potential handicaps at a certain level over 2 miles this season, and could be one that has slipped under the radar of many. Noel Meade has been quite complimentary about this horse in the past and when getting those ideal conditions, should be able to make his mark at his level.

The Carpenter

5YO Gelding

Nicky Henderson / Owners Group

Form: 2-

OR: Top RPR: 111

Another to come from the yard of Stuart Crawford, The Carpenter is an exciting horse for the Nicky Henderson team to have procured this season. Having come second in a good bumper in Ireland, The Owners Group backed the purchase of The Carpenter for 100,000 and have sent this horse into the card of Henderson, ahead of a novice hurdle campaign this year.

Plenty of graduates from the Crawford stable go for decent money at the sales, and for this horse to not have won and still make a six figure sum goes to show how well regarded this horse is. He is a big grey horse in frame, and will definitely suit going over hurdles and fences in the future, with his best work being at the finish of his second place in that Navan bumper. Navan is quite an unforgiving track for young horses, so this was a very good effort and one to take a lot of promise from.

The form of the bumper is working out decently as well, with Gatsby Grey winning the race for the Queallys. He has been subsequently bought by Oli McKiernan and will be a good prospect this year as well. The fourth and the fifth in that race have also come out to win races since, so there is a robust level to the form which is encouraging. The Carpenter shaped very well and also showed that he can act in softer ground, which wouldn’t be typical with many of the Henderson inmates.

The plan seems to be for this horse to go hurdling immediately for this yard and given the way that Henderson usually brings his horses along, this horse may well not be overfaced this year. Instead, he might be brought along softly and find genuine winning opportunities. As a result, he should be well up to winning a couple of races this year for good connections.

The Edgar Wallace

6YO Gelding

Kim Bailey / PJ Andrews

Form: 321/421-

OR: 132

Another horse on this list that will have the decision between running in Novice Chases this year or potentially exploiting his handicap hurdle mark. The Edgar Wallace was a slow burner over hurdles last year but looked to be getting the hang of things come the end of the season and may well prove a good horse to follow this year now that he has gained that experience.

The Edgar Wallace was a very exciting bumper recruit for connections a few years ago, and was well backed on his first two starts for the yard when finishing third and second in respective bumpers. The second was behind Adrimel, who is a very smart horse in his own right, with the two well clear of third. Dropped in class slightly on his third bumper start, he made no mistake at Hereford when accounting for on ordinary field in decisive fashion. That would have given many people a lot of hope for his novice hurdle campaign.

He was given a tough starting point though and he struggled whe behind Danny Kirwan and other future winners at Ascot on his first start, fading under pressure when the taps were turned. Similar happened at Doncaster on his next start when only finding Sam Barton too good on this occasion, again with a big break back to third. As if it was deja vu, he got off the mark over hurdles on the third try as well - winning nicely at Uttoxeter and beating good inmates from the Fergal O’Brien and Dan Skelton yard in the process.

He looks set to have another good season this year and a mark of 132 should not be beyond in either sphere. He looked to be getting the hang of hurdling as the season progressed so it wouldn’t surprise me to see this horse have a very eye-catching year as a result and if placed well, could win a fair few races.

Three Stripe Life

5YO Gelding

Gordon Elliott / K Haughey & Laura Haughey & Kieran T Byrne

Form: 14-

OR: Top RPR: 129

No prices for originality on the second last horse on this list, with the exciting Three Stripe Life, who is potentially one of the more intriguing novice hurdle contenders in Ireland this year. Having won his original bumper in Navan impressively, he was a good fourth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and looks like he would improve from a bit more experience on his back. With Gordon Elliot making such a splash back into the training ranks, one couldn’t put it past him improving this horse to Grade 1 contention this term.

There is often some murmurs that do the rounds before certain horses make their bumper debuts, and there was certainly a bit of water cooler talk about Three Stripe Life before that Navan debut. He was well backed before the off and delivered in fine style to win by nine lengths, with a further nine back to the third as well. This was a tremendous effort for a horse so inexperienced and heavy ground at Navan is as testing as it can get for a horse to make his debut in.

He then travelled over the Champion Bumper, with many shrewd judges fancying his chances to run a big race and he quickly became the wise guys horse for the race. Having unshipped Jack Kennedy on the way down to the start, he was keen throughout the race and wandered around the big straight under pressure. However, he still managed to come a very respectable fourth on that occasion and shaped like a real improver for next year. Wisely, he was given the rest of the year off and was put away to strengthen up.

Three Stripe Life now enters this year with any amount of potential to still come from him. It’s hard to decipher what his best trip might be, as he hit the line hard at Navan but showed speed at Cheltenham. I would assume that he will start off in a 2m maiden hurdle and see how he fairs from there. He may well be Gordon Elliot’s most promising novice hurdle so therefore it would seem prudent to keep him on the right side of your tracker.

Threeunderthrufive

6YO Gelding

Paul Nicholls / McNeill Family

Form: 21/11161-

OR: 141

The last on this list but certainly not the least as Threeunderthrufive could well be one of the most exciting horses on this list and should have a great future as a staying novice chaser this year. One would assume given the way he tackled hurdling last year, that connections will be quick to send this horse chasing over staying trips this season. He finished last season with a superb performance at Perth and should have gained a lot of confidence from that effort going into this season.

Having only ran in two bumpers a couple of seasons ago, when finishing second at Fontwell and then succeeding by a small margin at Chepstow, it was no surprise to see connections reach for staying trips last year for this horse. Having made a successful hurdling debut at Lingfield, he went on to defy a penalty in very brave fashion at Ludlow a month later. He beat a talented horse called Valleres that day, and the way he knuckled down was particularly pleasing for those connected closest to him.

After this, he made his first trip to Scotland of the year, when winning the 3m Novice Hurdle on Scottish Trials day at Musselburgh, which earned him a ticket to run in the Albert Bartlett at the Festival. In truth, that race was always going to be a big ask for a horse that was still raw and learning about the game. He ran a very good race in the circumstances, finishing six behind Vanillier and not being beaten all that far. He then went back to Perth for his final start of the season, where he trounced Castle Rushen by nine lengths in superb fashion.

As I previously said, he should make a good impact this year in Staying Novice Chases and it will be interesting to see just how far up the ranks he can go. He might be a horse that could end up running in a Brown Advisory Novice Chase or potentially even the National Hunt Chase for connections that have had some good runners in that race in recent times. He should be winning plenty of races this year.