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* Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules
1. Ballyburn (W P Mullins)
There is no decision from Willie Mullins’ yard yet over whether triple Grade One winner Ballyburn stays hurdling or goes novice chasing.
Wherever he goes, though, he’s likely to take top rank in that division.
Points make prizes in the big races, so any 10 to Follow list needs to include last season’s Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle winner at the Cheltenham Festival.
2. Blues Singer (Alan King
An impressive bumper winner for Alan King last season at Kempton in March. He’s only a four-year-old and should improve with age.
I’ll be waiting eagerly for his hurdling debut.
3. Fact To File (W P Mullins)
He looked so good last year, and Willie Mullins is in a dilemma over what trip to run him. Will he go 2m 4f or step up to the Gold Cup trip of 3m 2f?
Based on what he has shown us so far, it shouldn’t matter. He’s brilliant.
4. Galopin Des Champs (W P Mullins)
The dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is still relatively young as he embarks on the road at a crack at a third Blue Riband.
The simple fact is that he wins more times than he loses—particularly now that the key to him is keeping up with the pace or forcing it if nothing is prepared to go on.
He’ll have two runs in Ireland in the big Grade 1 contests before travelling to Cheltenham next March to retain his Gold Cup crown.
5. Il Est Francais (N George)
The French challenger was well touted before his debut UK run last season, and he duly impressed in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase when slamming Hermes Allen by 11 lengths.
He doesn’t strike me as a particularly strong stayer to go to war in the British Grade 1’s, but he could turn into a real Kempton specialist, and the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day could be tailor-made.
6. Lossiemouth (W P Mullins)
She’s been a wonderful mare since arriving at Willie Mullins’ stable and has already bagged a Triumph Hurdle and Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
I believe the intention is to have a crack at the Champion Hurdle this year, but it will be hard to turn that down if the Mares Hurdle looks like a penalty kick.
That’s for the future, though, and there are plenty of races to pick up along the way.
7. Lucky Place (N Henderson)
Nicky Henderson’s lightly-raced runner finished fourth to Langer Dan in the Coral Cup last season when the stable were way out of form.
He’s schooled well over fences at Seven Barrows and is one I’m looking forward to as the season progresses.
8. Romeo Coolio (G Elliott)
Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio had some smart bumper form in Ireland before finishing runner-up to Jasmin De Vaux in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
He made his hurdling debut at Down Royal earlier this month and coasted home by 18 lengths.
Connections want to dine at the top table and he may allow them to live the dream.
9. Teahupoo (G Elliott)
The reigning Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle winner could dominate this division as it doesn’t look the deepest. He’s one to keep on side.
10. The Jukebox Man (B Pauling)
He looked all over the winner when going four lengths clear at the last in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle but was collared by Stellar Story on the run up Cleeve Hill.
He’s schooled very well at Ben Pauling’s, and I know his jockey, Ben Jones, is looking forward to riding him in those big novice chases.
Others to note:
I also wanted to highlight a couple more of the English-trained horses that we’ll likely hear plenty about this season.
Sir Gino
With the news that Sir Gino is going novice chasing, I have to mention him. I’ve seen him schooling at Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows yard and he’s been very, very good. He gets all the allowances and will be very hard to beat – especially in the early part of the season.
Peaky Boy (N Henderson)
Another Henderson inmate, he won twice over hurdles last season when he joined Nicky but looks all over a chasing type in the making.
I’m excited to see how high he can go in this discipline.
Rubaud (P Nicholls)
He won the Elite Hurdle over hurdles last Saturday, but the plan is to send him over fences now.
He could be very tough to beat in many races on those tight right-handed tracks he handled so well in his hurdling campaign.
He’ll supposedly start his chasing career at Kempton, and he looks an exciting addition to Team Ditcheat’s chasing ranks.
Constitution Hill (N Henderson)
While Constitution Hill divides opinion, there’s no denying his talent.
The only time he disappointed was his pre-Cheltenham galop at Kempton, and everyone is hoping the former Champion Hurdler and unbeaten star returns to the type of form that saw him win the Supreme Novices Hurdle by 22 lengths in 2022 and the Champion Hurdle 12 months later.
He hasn’t been seen since December 2023, and the biggest problem they’re having at Nicky Henderson’s is getting the fat off him.
He’s the best around if he gets back to his old self.
* Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules
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