TWE's Novice Chasers To Follow For The 2023/24 Jumps Season

A hurdles winner over in France, Iceo was picked up and sent for training with Paul Nicholls in 2021 and immediately got off the mark with an impressive wide margin win on his stable debut.

He failed to really get involved in Graded events after that but bounced back to form when winning the Imperial Cup off a mark of 132 on deep ground last season.

He has already made his chasing debut this season and duly bolted up, taking to fences very easily. The performance already has Paul Nicholls gushing about the possibilities and lining up Grade one targets for his 5 year old. 2 miles and soft ground looks to be his ideal.

Scoring on his first attempt over hurdles, Captain Conby backed up his opening effort under a penalty before finding Graded company a little too stiff for him to be competitive.

However, dropped into handicaps he acquitted himself well and ran admirably in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham to be 6th. Over the summer he's been switched to fences and scored nicely on chase debut. Since sent for a graded novice chase he was only beaten by the classy Sharjah so the form could be worth following.

One that could take a step forward as he gains experience over the bigger obstacles.

Ran well in all three of his novice hurdles last season, shaping like a chaser in the making, and he was an 18 length winner when last seen in Maiden company at Ludlow.

Emma Lavelle commented that he was one with a ‘bright future’ being the big, strong type that he is.

Seemingly built for chasing, he should take to fences well for this season.

A bumper winner under Sandy Thomson. Belated hurdles debut as an 8 year old, clearly having had his issues. He did however score at the third time of asking by 22 lengths in a Chepstow Novice event.

Followed up under a penalty when last seen at Ffos Las in May when upped to 2.5 miles. He Remains lightly raced for his age and looks a decent prospect over fences this season under the care of Emma Lavelle.

Got the better of Constitution Hill in a Point to Point back in April of 2021 by a neck.

He then managed to land a couple class 3 and 4 handicaps over hurdles albeit without too much sign of living up to his lofty Pointing form.

Clearly had his issues and has been off since December. Be interesting to see what he can offer over this season as he gets back over the bigger obstacles.

Noted as looking like a ‘film star’ when purchased for £210k and made his hurdle debut in a Grade Two event at Cheltenham behind Hermes Allen. After breaking his maiden after that, he failed to really kick on over hurdles and struggled in deep Grade One contests.

An imposing giant, he's yet to quite live up to his price tag. But he can grow into his frame this season and begin transferring that raw potential onto the track.

The yard notoriously do best with their chasers.