The 2025/26 National Hunt season has ticked off its first big marking post with Chepstow’s Persian War meeting, but so much is still to come. Andrew Mount has provided GG with his ten horses to follow throughout the upcoming campaign, with one trainer in particular of note in the coming months.
Booster Bob (IRE) 7yo b g – Olly Murphy
BOOSTER BOB took his career record to 131114P13231 (6-12) when coming from the clouds (touched 880.0 in running on the Betfair exchange) to deny Vincenzo in the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury on March 1st. earning yet more plaudits for his brilliant rider Sean Bowen. The big field/strong pace clearly helped, and that victory took his record in fields of eight or more runners to 131111 (5-6), with the sole defeat coming in a steadily-run Wetherby bumper in which the winner and runner-up raced one-two throughout. Olly Murphy’s seven-year-old is usually one to avoid in small fields – recording form figures in fields of seven or fewer runners of 146232 (1-6) – and looks set for another successful season when conditions are in his favour.
Derryhassen Paddy (IRE) 6yo b g – Lucinda Russell
Point-to-point winner DERRYHASSEN PADDY made a successful debut under Rules in a bumper at Ayr in February 2024, scoring by seven lengths after being supported into 11-8 favouritism and wasn’t seen again until lining up in a maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter last November (2m4f, soft). Lucinda Russell’s gelding continued where he left off, keeping on well to score by a length and a half as the 2-1 favourite. He was taking on representatives from some of the big southern yards when maintaining his 100% record in a 3m class 2 contest at Windsor next time and it was some effort to finish a 10-1 third to Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett when we last saw him, as he fared best of those to race on the front end and best of the British-trained contingent. Lucinda Russell’s six-year-old has a bright future over fences.
Favour And Fortune (IRE) 7yo b g – Alan King
I got a few laughs from the audience on the Cheltenham festival preview circuit in 2024 when tipping Alan King’s FAVOUR AND FORTUNE for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (he was around 280 on Betfair at the time) but he went off at just 28-1 for that Grade 1 contest and finished less than ten lengths behind the winner in sixth place despite jumping like a snooker table. The son of Soldier And Fortune confirmed the promise of that effort when landing the Scottish Champion Hurdle on his next start and had excuses in a winless four-race 2024/25 campaign. The seven-year-old needs good ground according to his trainer – those four runs came on officially good to soft or soft going – but it’s possible that he just needs a flat track. If we ignore his runs on stiff and/or undulating tracks his record becomes 11112143 (5-8), with the runner-up effort to Jango Baie when 10-1 for the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in December 2023, the fourth place under a big weight in last season’s Betfair Hurdle and the third when failing to see out 2m4f in a 20-runner handicap hurdle at Aintree on his most recent assignment.
In D’or (FR) 7yo b g – Venetia Williams
There are plenty of punters expecting horses previously ridden by David Maxwell to step forward this season now that the plucky amateur rider has retired from the saddle and while they’ve already had their fingers burnt when 5-4 favourite Queensbury Boy could only finish fourth in the Persian War at Chepstow on October 10th, I have high hopes for IN D’OR. Venetia Williams’ seven-year-old won three times in small fields on right-handed tracks when ridden by Maxwell but it was his 40-1 sixth of 18 to Haiti Couleurs in the National Hunt Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham festival that really took the eye. That race worked out well, with the winner following up in the Irish National and fourth-placed Resplendent Grey landing the bet365 Gold Cup. The 3m6f trip seemed to find him out (his wins have come over trips of 2m5f-3m) and his current handicap mark of 133 could be on the generous side.
Kingston Pride (IRE) 6yo gr g – Olly Murphy
I wrote up KINGSTON PRIDE in my column in Racing & Football Outlook after his debut run on a Polytrack bumper at Lingfield in January 2024. Nicky Henderson’s 8-11 favourite raced in the deep stuff on the inside rail and did really well to finish second, just over one length behind Fergal O’Brien’s Tripoli Flyer who challenged late and wide under a typical Paddy Brennan ride. He’s only raced four times subsequently because of a preference for fast going (he’s been declared a non-runner on no less than five occasions), recording form figures of 11P1 (3-4), with the wins on officially good ground and the non-completion on soft. He changed hands for £285,000 in the spring and I’m eagerly awaiting his debut for Olly Murphy.
Knight Of Allen (FR) 5yo b g – Jane Williams
KNIGHT OF ALLEN signed off his inaugural campaign (2023/24) with victory in a 2m Junior ‘National Hunt’ Hurdle at Chepstow and built on that with a reappearance third to Wade Out (now rated 127) at Uttoxeter last October. He took another step forward when a 14-1 third of 14 to Steel Ally in a 2m2f Class 2 handicap hurdle at Haydock the following month where he emerged best of those to come from off the pace (winner “made all”, runner-up “prominent, went second after 3 out”). The son of Masterstroke disappointed at Hereford next time but bounced back to justify even-money favouritism in a novices’ hurdle at Ffos Las. Jane Williams’ five-year-old was a big eyecatcher on his recent chase debut at Chepstow, looking in need of the experience before staying on late to finish a length and a half behind Coco Mademoiselle in a three-runner (two finisher) novices’ chase. His yard’s chasers typically improve with track experience and he should find a race or two this season. Don’t be put off if he’s upped in class next time, as his stable do well when pitching inexperienced runners into Graded or Listed company.
Myretown (IRE) 8yo b g – Lucinda Russell
MYRETOWN ended last season on a high, bolting up by 11 lengths in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after being supported into 13-2 favouritism from 16-1 (advised in my daily column on the GG website). Lucinda Russell’s exciting eight-year-old was beaten on his point-to-point, bumper, hurdles and chasing debuts but his record outside those runs stands at 1F11F11 (5-7). He went up 15lb for his Cheltenham win but could still be a player in handicap chase company off 142 before his sights are raised.
Sole Solution (IRE) 7yo ch g – Venetia Williams
SOLE SOLUTION never looked happy on the right-handed track when 11-10 favourite for a 2m5.5f novices’ hurdle at Hereford on January 15th, jumping and hanging to his left, but still won by just over three lengths. Venetia Williams’ seven-year-old followed up at another right-handed venue, scoring narrowly in a 2m4f handicap hurdle on heavy ground at Sandown, and should have plenty more to offer this term , especially when returned to a left-handed track in the mud. His full record now reads 116211 (4-6), improving to 11211 (4-5) on ground judged by Proform to be soft or heavy.
Victtorino (FR) 7yo bb g – Venetia Williams
VICTTORINO took his Ascot record to 11411 (4-5) when gamely denying Threeunderthrufive by a nose in the Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase on February 15th, with the only defeat coming in the same 3m contest 12 months earlier when jumping poorly. The Venetia Williams-trained seven-year-old pulled up behind Myretown in the Ultima next time, taking his Cheltenham record to 7PP (0-3) and is one to back at his beloved Ascot but probably to avoid at other venues.
Zertakt (FR) 7yo b g – Venetia Williams
ZERTAKT, a triple winner in his native France, has drawn a blank in six starts for Venetia Williams but has perhaps not been the easiest to train. The seven-year-old was off the track for 415 days after his disappointing effort in a Ffos Las handicap hurdle in January 2023 on his stable debut and another long break (269 days) followed his modest third of four in a novices’ handicap chase at Ludlow in March 2024 on his second outing for the yard. Things started to come together last season, with his four runs producing a four-length third of nine at Windsor, a five-length 10-1 third of eight at Newbury, a six-length 9-2 fourth of 11 at Windsor when stepped up to an extended 3m4f on soft ground and, at Newbury on March 1st, a second place to Joe Tizzard’s Rivers Corner in the Jacky Upton Trophy (beaten by just under four lengths). The drop to 2m7.5f was clearly against him that day and he could run up a sequence in modest staying efforts this term when underfoot conditions are on the soft side.
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