There are loads of Saturdays to look forward to for jumps fans in the coming months, with a number of stars back to thrill throughout the campaign. GG’s Joe Napier has picked out ten horses worth keeping an eye on for some of the biggest prizes either side of the Irish Sea this season, including Jonbon’s conqueror and an intriguing second season novice chaser for Willie Mullins…
Il Etait Temps – Willie Mullins
First he played second fiddle to Vauban, then to Facile Vega, and lastly to Gaelic Warrior, but in defeating the last-named in a Grade 1 novice chase at Punchestown in 2024, IL ETAIT TEMPS began the process of emerging from the shadows as a bona fide star even among Willie Mullins’ ranks. He is worthy of inclusion in this Ten To Follow because his 2024/25 season comprised just one race, but it provided an emphatic statement of intent when he ended Jonbon’s unbeaten run away from Cheltenham in barnstorming fashion in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase at Sandown. If Willie Mullins can keep the diminutive grey fit throughout the campaign, he could mop up prizes on home soil over 2m with Energumene on the wane aged 12, Marine Nationale a late bloomer every season and the Brits unlikely to travel over the Irish Sea. He would be a serious Champion Chase contender if able to put his poor Cheltenham record behind him too.
Stellar Story – Gordon Elliott
Trying to find a future Grand National horse not trained by W P Mullins could prove a forlorn task given the Closutton stranglehold of Aintree in the last two years. One such candidate for that prize though could be STELLAR STORY for connections who love the race in Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown. The eight-year-old has only won three of his 11 starts over obstacles, but they include the 2024 Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, while he was second in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the big meeting last season too. The spring festivals were all contested on swifter ground than he would like, but his stamina is abundant, so stepping up beyond 3m1f could prove the making of him. A mark of 154 is where he starts the season and anything around that would look a plausible rating for Grand National contention, especially at early ante-post odds of 66/1, as he fits the ideal bill for that race as an eight-year-old second-season chaser a rung below Graded ability.
Kalif Du Berlais – Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls may have plentiful ammunition for the Paddy Power Gold Cup in mid-November, a race he has won for the last two years, but KALIF DU BERLAIS could be the ideal type to take the race en route to grander projects later in the season. The five-year-old has skipped the Cheltenham Festival for the last two seasons, meaning he is still relatively unexposed at a high level, but he won on his first visit to Prestbury Park in January when landing a novices’ handicap at odds-on. He subsequently scored at the top level when leading all the way in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree, which sees him begin this season with a rating of 156. Given Stage Star won the Paddy Power off 155 two years ago, and Al Ferof off 159 back in 2012, that contest looks a more than likely starting point given the Jonbon shaped obstacle barricading any early-season Graded prizes. The step up to 2m4f will surely be within range at some point and there could be significant untapped potential within Nicholls’ five-year-old.
Burdett Road – James Owen
Racing on good or good-to-firm on the flat this year has proven beyond the capabilities of BURDETT ROAD, but he has been contesting strong races and could easily bounce back over hurdles. With Constitution Hill’s fitness and ability now open to serious question, it is The New Lion who poses the biggest threat of domination of the 2m scene. However, Burdett Road is now a Champion Hurdle runner-up and connections will probably rue a change of tactics that day given how that race panned out: Burdett Road finished nine lengths adrift of Golden Ace amidst the chaos, but was only ¾-a-length behind the mare when they warmed up in Wincanton’s Kingwell Hurdle on 1lb worse terms the month prior. That championship contest will be beyond his abilities in an ordinary renewal, but The New Lion will have to prove himself against Owen’s star in the Fighting Fifth, while contests such as the International Hurdle, or the Kingwell Hurdle again, could be ripe for the plucking along the way. A seemingly light mark of 150 could also be exploited in handicap company just yet.
Jeriko Du Reponet – Nicky Henderson
Currently a best priced 40/1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle and 66/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, one set of those odds could be made to seem extreme by JERIKO DU REPONET. Fences are apparently the aim again this term after a disastrous debut in that sphere last year, but the six-year-old should prove more amenable with experience now, while he will also face races of a more suitable staying distance having established himself over 3m over hurdles last term. Should the jumping element again cause issues, the staying hurdle division is as open for a star as ever, and Jeriko Du Reponet started to realise his ability again during the spring, including when hacking up in a Listed 3m handicap at the Punchestown Festival. He begins this season rated 149, but that very likely underestimates his best. Whichever discipline he takes to best, there are races of a good level to be won with him on the way to Cheltenham and beyond.
Masaccio – Alan King
The Coral Gold Cup, formerly the Hennessy, may not be the race it once was, but there will still be a fair number of domestic trainers targeting the contest with their Grade 2 and 3 level staying chasers. One who stands out for that race this season is MASACCIO for Alan King, who ended last term on a particularly high note. The grey ran well twice at Newbury to begin his chasing career, winning on his fencing debut then finishing a close second to the very talented The Jukebox Man in the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase. It was all about handicaps for Masaccio afterwards and he acquitted himself very well, finishing third to the very well-treated Jagwar on two occasions, including at the Cheltenham Festival, before winning at Ayr off 146 to conclude the campaign. That final victory came when stepped back up to 3m and he stayed the distance thoroughly, so the Coral Gold Cup should suit well, though the same could be said of any big handicap at about 3m this term.
Blizzard Of Oz – Willie Mullins
Heading back across the pond,BLIZZARD OF OZ will be a second season novice chaser this term, but Willie Mullins could go down multiple avenues with this seven-year-old, owned by Simon Munir & Isaac Souede. He finished third in three successive beginners’ chases, but against decent rivals, including when finishing less than two lengths behind subsequent Brown Advisory hero Lecky Watson on his chase debut. Others to beat him in that span include the now 151-rated Irish Grand National third Quai De Bourbon, while Blizzard Of Oz then stepped up his game in handicap company at the Punchestown Festival where he really should have won off a mark of 141. All of his chase starts have been over 2m4f to date, but he has seen the trip out well and a step up to the staying division may well prove the making of him at some point over the next six months. It is well within the realms of possibility that he will become a Grade 1 novice this campaign.
Potters Charm – Nigel Twiston-Davies
You would imagine the Twiston-Davies team themselves would admit to botching the latter part of POTTERS CHARM’s season earlier this year. Having gone four for four between September and December 2024, the plan had originally been to save him for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, but an ill-conceived plan to prep him on Trials Day in the Grade 2 Classic Novices’ Hurdle proved a step too far, as he was easily beaten by Sixmilebridge. That run may not have adversely affected his chances come the Festival, where he finished a highly respectable fifth in a strong renewal of the Turners, competing until after the second last, but it took the gloss off an otherwise impressive campaign. He was nearly 52 lengths ahead of Sixmilebridge in that Grade 1, with others well behind that day including future Listed winner Kiss Will, so it is reasonable to expect Potters Charm to be a protagonist come many Saturdays this season, whether over hurdles or in novice chases. The handicapper may yet to have his measure on a rating of 145.
Jig’s Forge – Ben Pauling
Ben Pauling has two powerful second season chasers to go to war with in Handstands and The Jukebox Man for 2025/26. Though the pool of talent to follow that pair initially looks light, one who could make the leap in the right direction is point winner JIG’S FORGE. He goes well fresh, as evidenced by him winning a maiden hurdle first time out last season, cosily beating the now 126-rated mare Blue Las when conceding 10lb. The rest of the campaign did not go perfectly to plan, though he still finished a tidy sixth in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival at 125/1, in between lesser efforts in other Pattern novice events. He sits on a mark of 132, but his debut performance last season suggests he could be one to get on side with before the turn of the year, with novice chasing likely the goal.
Realco – Dan Skelton
It would be remiss to go without a Dan Skelton-trained horse for the season ahead and maybe classy bumper performer REALCO can provide a decent follow-up act to The New Lion in novice hurdles this term. The five-year-old has won a bumper when trained by Tom Weston, but kicked on to win a second such contest under a penalty after joining Skelton before filling second place to the unbeaten Sober Glory in a Listed Newbury event. Behind him in third that day was Baron Noir, who went and won a Punchestown bumper in a rare successful raid for British trainers at that meeting. That contest has produced Dysart Dynamo and Ballyburn in recent years, while the Newbury contest had been won by the useful Skelton inmate Royal Infantry a year prior. It is therefore likely that Realco is well up to a decent level and could be a forerunner in the Skelton team’s push for a trainers’ championship if successfully transitioning to hurdles.
Looking For More Racing Info? Check Out Our Racecards & Top Tips Sections
Make sure you’re following us on all our social media platforms to keep up to date with all the latest horse racing news and the best tips.