Horses To Follow
This aims to be a one-stop resource for the most promising British-trained youngsters to keep onside ahead of the 25/26 jumps campaign. Not all of them will be sighted at Prestbury Park in March, but with any luck we’ll catch glimpses of their potential as the season unfolds.
Although Willie Mullins edged the trainers’ championship, the 24/25 campaign still represented a landmark year for Dan Skelton. The Warwickshire handler has long stalked the established giants, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls, but over the past two seasons he has not only bridged the gap - he looks increasingly capable of pulling clear. His team of novices and prospects for the coming year reinforces that sense of momentum.
Keops Des Bordes shaped with distinct promise when chasing home a useful rival at Warwick on debut, while Fortune De Mer has already acquitted himself winning the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle at The Showcase Meeting. Realco, Giantsgrave, and Kadastral all look the right stamp to make their mark now hurdling. Yet it is hard to escape the buzz surrounding Mydaddypaddy. He may never quite emulate last season’s star, The New Lion, but the early whispers have been notably encouraging - and with spring targets already mentioned, he could be one to carry Skelton’s banner deep into the campaign.
Another trainer to emerge from last season with plenty of credit was Ben Pauling, whose team looks especially strong in the mares’ novice hurdle division. Hornica, an eye-catching and somewhat unlucky fourth in the bumper at Cheltenham’s April Meeting, sets a solid standard. She is joined by Afancy Getaway, a privately acquired mare who created a striking impression when winning her point-to-point.
After the progress of Meetmebythesea, who rattled off three wins last term, Pauling has once again caught the eye of J. P. McManus. This time, the champion owner has entrusted him with Mojito Des Mottes, a three-year-old juvenile who has been at Naunton Downs since the start of the year. Even after a short break, Pauling told me that the youngster already carries the smaller frame of a hurdler – hopefully the type to be forward enough to strike early and win plenty along the way.
Forecasting what sort of season Nicky Henderson will enjoy is no easy task, with many of his established stars carrying weighty question marks. Will Jonbon be asked to stretch his stamina and go up in trip? Was Constitution Hill’s Punchestown defeat a one-off blip, or an omen of deeper concern? Will we even see the much-discussed Sir Gino? And can Jango Baie take the leap into open company with success? The Seven Barrows team enters the campaign full of intrigue rather than certainty.
Amid those questions, however, there is at least one youngster generating quiet confidence. Manlaga, a three-year-old juvenile filly, joined Henderson from France after scoring in a competitive Auteuil hurdle for Marcel Rolland. Since arriving at Seven Barrows she has impressed her new trainer, and it would be no surprise if she emerged as a bright note among the uncertainties that dominate Henderson’s string.
I never quite bought into the narrative of doubt that surrounded Paul Nicholls last season. After all, if winning three Grade 1s, the Coral Gold Cup, a Paddy Power Handicap Chase, the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Festival, and a clutch of Grade 2s is considered underwhelming, it only underlines the extraordinary standards the 14-time champion has set through years of relentless success.
Among his younger brigade, there are two I’m keen on and one I’m particularly taken with. Swinging Safari and Talk To The Man both shaped well in bumpers and look sure to collect their share of races as they progress. But the standout is No Drama This End. A horse of scope and substance, he strikes me as tailor-made for the Challow Hurdle - a race Nicholls has farmed, winning four of the last five renewals. This lad’s attitude is exemplary, and with Harry Cobden able to coax and command him however the race unfolds, he tops my early shortlist for Newbury in late December.
After a period of transition, Philip Hobbs looks poised to be back dining at the top table before long. From the outside, the addition of Johnson White to the licence has brought a renewed sharpness to the Minehead operation. White, of course, has been integral to the yard for over three decades, but the fresh partnership seems to have reinvigorated both the stable and the flow of talent coming through it.
Kilwaughter, a recruit from Stuart Crawford, advertised his quality when running two excellent races in defeat at Aintree and Punchestown. He looks certain to make his mark over hurdles. Starzand, meanwhile, was hugely impressive in his sole start at Chepstow, giving the distinct impression that he could be anything - the performance even evoked memories of Thyme Hill at a similar stage. And then there is Sober Glory, who arguably ranked among the top two or three British bumper horses last season, winning three times, the last of them in Listed company at Newbury. Both Starzand and Sober Glory look good enough to contest Grade 1s as the season develops.
Beyond the major yards, there are several others with exciting prospects worth marking in the notebook. Olly Murphy is especially enthusiastic about Wilstar, who makes the switch to hurdles this year. His pedigree needs little introduction - being a half-brother to Jonbon and Douvan - and he carries outside expectation that naturally follows such bloodlines.
Elsewhere, Neil King looks set for plenty of fun with the likeable Storming George, while David Pipe has already mentioned the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as a possible spring destination for Windbeneathmywings, who lit up Ascot on his most recent outing. Each of these could play a significant role in shaping the season’s narrative.
