A mouth-watering National Hunt season is ahead of us and the 2024-25 Jumps campaign is sure to throw up its usual thrills and spills culminating with a spectacular Cheltenham Festival in March.
Our GG editor Steve Chambers is here with his list of ten horses to follow for the season, and is hoping that some of his stars can reign supreme in some of the spring showpieces, while he will also be looking for some to land other big prizes during the campaign.
Kopek Des Bordes – Willie Mullins
The doyen of the National Hunt arena, Willie Mullins will have another strong battalion to head into battle this season and fresh from victory in the 2023/24 National Hunt Trainers’ Championship on UK & Irish soil he is sure to have another team jam-packed with quality. It goes without saying that the likes of Galopin Des Champs and State Man will be at the forefront of the Closutton brigade, but KOPEK DES BORDES is a fascinating once-raced four-year-old.
A facile 13-length winner of a Fairyhouse bumper back in March, the No Risk At All gelding cruised clear in heavy going that day and looks like he could be a very smart novice hurdler. Already etched into the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle markets at 25/1, the youngster could be a real progressive performer this season and is one really exciting prospect.
Waterford Whispers – Henry De Bromhead
Sent off a well-fancied 100/30 favourite for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, WATERFORD WHISPERS bumped into a smart rival in the shape of Better Days Ahead. Beaten one-and-a-half lengths that day by the Gordon Elliott-trained raider, Waterford Whispers along with the winner, third placed Quai De Bourbon and fourth placed Answer To Kayf pulled over 10 lengths clear of the rest of the field. This suggests that the four of them could be really smart performers, as the Martin Pipe can historically throw up some top notch performers – think Galopin Des Champs!
He pulled up at Punchestown on his final start when sent off favourite, but he was never going a yard that day, so you can scrub that performance. Henry De Bromhead should have some real fun stepping him up in trip this season and whether he stays over hurdles or goes novice chasing he’s one to keep on side with.
GG 10 To Follow – Joe Napier Gives His 10 Horses to Look Out for this Jumps Season
The National Hunt season is already in full flow, and at GG, all of our writers and tipsters will be giving their “10 To Follow” for the season in the coming weeks. Here, Joe Napier gives his from across Great Britain and Ireland. Jeroboam Machin – Emmet Mullins There would have to be a few…
Tue 22 Oct 2024Majborough – Willie Mullins
One of the abiding memories of this year’s Cheltenham Festival was the manner in which MAJBOROUGH rocketed up the hill to win the Triumph Hurdle. A horse only having his third start for Willie Mulllins, he showed a real tenacity to get the better of stablemate Kargese, but in the final furlong he highlighted his class.
Now, he looked every bit a chaser in that performance, as he didn’t show real speed over his hurdles, but got to the other side with no problems. Every eye will be on Ballyburn this season in the novice chase ranks, but Majborough looks to be a real key component to the Mullins engine this season in that division. With the 2m 4f Cheltenham option gone, then Majborough looks Brown Advisory bound and that three miles could bring out the real improvement.
Teeshan – Paul Nicholls
An easy winner of an Exeter bumper in February, TEESHAN was highlighted as one of the British hopes for the Champion Bumper the following month. However, the Paul Nicholls-trained raider could only finish 12th in that contest at the Cheltenham Festival. Like many of the Ditcheat team they can often be chasers in the making and this one looks no different, but he may be able to grab some tidy pots novice hurdling this season.
Likely to make up into a 3m chaser, Teeshan could be stepped up to 2m 4f first time out in a possible Graded contest before going to try and land a big prize later in the season. The Nicholls team will be eager to get a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse again and this lad could be just that, but he may just be a work in progress for the coming couple of seasons, but is very exciting.
Primoz – Lucinda Russell
Lucinda Russell’s PRIMOZ is one that has already been seen on the track this campaign and he couldn’t have been more impressive when making a winning chase debut. A winner of an Ayr handicap hurdle at the Scottish Grand National meeting last season, the six-year-old was always going to go over fences this season and he won at Wetherby off a mark of 123.
Sure to face stiffer tasks as the season goes on, Primoz may not make it to the higher echelons of the ratings in comparison to some in this list of horses to follow, but the Russell team have shown down the years how they excel with staying handicap chasers and he has to be one to keep an eye on this term.
Kargese – Willie Mullins
It may be obvious that I hold last year’s Triumph Hurdle in high regard as the second that day KARGESE goes into the list of 10 To Follow for this season. Another trained by Willie Mullins, the filly followed up her second to Majborough with another second placed finish in the Grade 1 Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle at Aintree, where she was beaten by Sir Gino.
However, she got her name in lights at the Punchestown Festival, as she got the better of the classy Bottler’secret in the Grade 1 4-Y-O Hurdle. Another exciting mare for the Mullins team to go to war with, it will be fascinating to see where she has pitched in the early stages of the season. State Man (Champion Hurdle) and Lossiemouth (Mares’ Hurdle) could well be the flagbearers for the yard over timber, so where Kargese goes this year will be eye-opening.
Strong Leader – Olly Murphy
Down the field in the 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, STRONG LEADER always shaped like he would benefit from a step up in trip and he showed that on his final start last season when storming to victory in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree to secure his first Grade 1 prize for Olly Murphy and the Welfordgolf Syndicate.
A fine third in the Cleeve Hurdle when outpaced through the middle of that race, the seven-year-old kicked on again when winning at Aintree and he could be a real Stayers’ Hurdle candidate this season. A division that lacks notable strength in depth, Strong Leader is one that could improve again this campaign and it would be no shock to see him the prominent flagbearer for the UK in the Grade 1 3m division.
Theatre Man – Richard Bandey
Strongly punted in the Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, THEATRE MAN was an early casualty at the third fence of that competitive event. Prior to that run he was an eye-catching, staying on second at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day and he shaped like he would be one for three miles plus. It was interesting that trained Richard Bandey kept him over two miles, four in the Plate, but he was unable to show his running.
Seen over hurdles at Aintree, as he looked to boost his confidence, Theatre Man is one that should return to chasing this season and a mark in the high 130s looks extremely attractive, if he can improve his jumping. He may not reach the top grade over fences, but certainly has the capabilities of landing a big pot at some point.
Nick Rockett – Willie Mullins
One win in five races over fences, NICK ROCKETT has been a shade disappointing, but the Willie Mullins-trained raider can improve considerably this season and can be a force in long distance handicap chases. Could a Grand National tilt be on the agenda perhaps?
Last seen finishing third in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park at the end of last season, the seven-year-old was often found wanting when the pace quickened up in some competitive races, so he will need to show a bit more tactical speed this term. However, there’s no doubt he has a big engine and he could be one that rocks up and lands a decent race at some point.
Nurburgring – Joseph O’Brien
Fourth in the Triumph Hurdle, NURBURGRING then landed victory in the Galway Hurdle at the Galway Festival during the summer. Joseph O’Brien’s dual-purpose performer has been running decent races on the level and was last seen chasing home The Euphrates in the Irish Cesarewitch. He was given a lot to do that day, but stayed on for fourth and he could be a smart handicap hurdler this year.
Whether the O’Brien team opt to target something like the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury or step him up in trip, the four-year-old relishes the hustle and bustle of a handicap hurdle and he could be one of the leading contenders in top handicap hurdles between two and two-and-a-half miles.
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