20 Jumps Horses To Follow For The Season

The six year old owned by JP McManus started her career in 2018 when winning at Ballinrobe on her bumper debut, beating a field of 14 with ease.

The daughter of Jeremy was then tried over hurdles where she finished a narrow second to a nice horse from Henry De Bromhead's yard called Put The Kettle On, who has since gone on to win the Arkle Chase.

She was tried back in bumpers after her one and only hurdles run and she got back to winning ways at Naas and then landing a Listed bumper at Fairyhouse to back up her credentials.

Her final test of the 2019 season was at the Punchestown Festival landing the Grade Three national hunt flat race beating some superb horses.

Many think that this mare would have gone close in the Champion Bumper but was ruled out of the race due to running over hurdles during the season.

She was set to start her campaign for last years national hunt season with her trainer very bullish about her chances in some big hurdle contests, but sadly for the yard and connections she picked up an injury that ruled her out of the whole term.

She is set to come back in good health for the 2020/21 season with Peter Fahey sticking with a hurdles campaign and she really could be very special.

Another JP McManus horse we like the look of over fences this season is Le Richebourg for Joseph O'Brien and although being a very delicate horse, he holds plenty of potential.

The seven year old at the start of the 2018/19 season gave some solid performances winning a Beginners Chase at Listowel and backing that up at Tipperary in a Grade Three.

Showing obvious signs of potential he was put into the in the Grade One Drinmore Novices Chase just being edged out by multiple black type winer Delta Work.

He headed to Leopardstown on Boxing Day after that run and landed the first Grade One of his career in the Racing Post Novice Chase.

Having his final run in February 2019 before the Cheltenham festival he landed another Group One at Leopardstown and was named the Arkle favourite for that season.

However, after picking up an injury he missed the Cheltenham festival and rest of that season and was expected back for the 2019/20 campaign.

Unfortunately, the gelding had another setback and missed another season, but if being able to get back to his old form after so long off he has to be taken seriously in the Champion Chase.

Your Darling is a horse that not many jumps fans will be familiar with but he put up a superb performance last term in a bumper that caught the eye and he could just turn into being a very special horse.

The Ben Pauling trained five year old made his debut in a bumper at Newbury seeing off a strong field, which included Flinteur Sacre (full brother to Sprinter Sacre) and the way he travelled through that race was something you only see in a top class talent.

He was pulled up on his second start with something obviously not right but there looks to be a lot of potential in this gelding and going over hurdles this term could bring on more improvement.

Having just mentioned Flinteur Sacre with the Your Darling form, we are also putting up this full brother to the great Sprinter Sacre, with that bumper looking like a strong race that will throw out some nice winners.

The five year old has been seen twice to date, finishing second on his debut run but came on for that in a huge way when taking a Kempton bumper by close to five lengths.

His pedigree makes him a very exciting prospect for Nicky Henderson, who has had some gems from JP McManus over the last few years and this gelding looks another superb athlete.

He will be tried over hurdles next season and we are very excited about what he can do being a serious challenger in either the Supreme or Ballymore Novices Hurdle markets.

The six year old, since falling on his hurdles debut has shown bundles of ability and plenty of gears when it comes to finishing his races which have seen him land three contests in a row at Newbury, Huntingdon and of course Prestbury Park.

He runs in the colours and of dual Gold Cup winning owner Joe Donnelly who alongside trainer Nicky Henderson is excited for what the future holds for his gelding after taking the Supreme Novices Hurdle last term.

Nicky Henderson is looking to send him chasing this term having shown plenty of scope to be able to handle the bigger obstacles, with the Arkle looking like the most likely target.

He has shown he can stay 2m4f so the Seven Barrows team may look to up him in trip but showing pace and gears over two miles, it would be strange to take him away from that distance.

Ferny Hollow for Willie Mullins is a horse that holds more potential that arguably any horse in training with the Cheveley Park owned gelding set to head over hurdles this term.

The five year old followed in the footsteps of his owners horse Envoi Allen to land the Champion Bumper last season at the Cheltenham festival.

Before that he had been a frustrating type, showing plenty of ability but not finishing off his races until just before the festival at Fairyhouse, where he got off the mark for the season.

He will be eagerly watched this term with the Champion Bumper always carrying a great form line with the horses trying their hand over hurdles for the first time.

Ferny Hollow has a big chance to be a star for his yard and owners, who have really set the racing world alight over the last few years with a great team of horses.

Captain Guinness for Henry De Bromhead looks a really exciting prospect for next season, with the Irish handler suggesting he will go chasing.

The five year old did not run in any bumpers and was thrown straight over hurdles, showing great signs of speed winning on debut in a 23 runner maiden.

He returned at Punchestown just a month later and finished a narrows second behind the likeable Andy Dufresne for Gordon Elliott in the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novices Hurdle.

That looked a solid prep run before the Supreme Novices Hurdle where he was still a bit of an unknown entity and at 14/1 was travelling like a dream turning for home.

However, with the race being a mess for the most part he was bought down by Elixir D'ainay who was hampered by stablemate Asterion Forlonge.

He has not been seen since then but the Arkle looks the road to go with this horse and with the trainer winning it last year he knows what type of horse is needed to go close.

Topofthegame started his 2019 season off at Exeter in a Novice Chase contest in which he missed the start and had to make up the best part of 25 lengths and was only narrowly beaten by the Phillip Hobbs trained Defi Du Seuil, but the run was very eye-catching.

He came on for that run in the Kauto Star Novices Chase where he finished second again behind one of the best three mile chasers of that season in La Bague Au Roi for trainer Warren Greatrex, but he did beat some other top class horses and showed a lot of ability.

The Cheltenham festival was next and in one of the races of the 2019 festival, he managed to get up late in the day to take the RSA Novices' Chase with Santini and Delta Work behind him.

Both of those horses have since franked the form by winning Grade One races and Santini a photo-finish second in last seasons Gold Cup.

Topofthegame missed the whole season last term due to injury but Nicholls is over the moon with his progress ahead of this season, with the Ladbrokes Trophy and Gold Cup on the agenda.

Bravemansgame was a new recruit for the Paul Nicholls yard last season being bought for £370,000 at the Cheltenham sales at the 2019 festival and was given to the 11 time champion trainer.

The gelding was bought for this exceptional amount after running back in March over in Ireland at Lingstown in a point to point and he hosed up by seven lengths beating a field of 11 runners.

He raced twice in bumpers last season showing glimpses of ability but Nicholls always said anything he did last season was a bonus as he was bought to be a jumps horse.

This year he will get that chance and the yard think very highly of him.

The Big Breakaway looks to be a very smart horse in the making over fences for Colin Tizzard having been respected over hurdles last term but he was always bought to be a chaser.

He won his point to point in good style and was then bought for €360,000 and given to Colin Tizzard who started him out at Chepstow where he bolted up in a decent maiden that has since seen the form franked.

He then went Newbury over two and half miles and again he was overly impressive which made him a leading candidate for the Ballymore Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.

He finished fourth behind the superstar Envoi Allen at the festival and although being a smart horse over timber, he is set to be better now chasing.

The Warren Greatrex trained Emitom is ready to swap hurdles for fences for the upcoming national hunt season as the six year old has said to have comeback from his break as a new horse.

The six year old has been a smart performer for the most part of his career, landing six of his nine races including four times over hurdles and twice in bumpers.

Last season the gelding was only seen three times, winning the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock on his penultimate start and off the back of that went to Cheltenham and finished a good fourth in the Grade One Stayers' Hurdle.

McFabulous for Paul Nicholls has promised so much in the last few seasons but this year stepping up in trip should see him flourish.

The six year old was a superstar in bumpers, landing three of his four outings, including the Grade Two contest at the Grand National meeting at Aintree.

He stepped up to hurdles last term and took some time to fully get warm to jumping the obstacles, but on his third start got off the mark over timber at Market Rasen, he then backed that up at Kempton next time out to land an 18 runner Grade Three Handicap Hurdle.

Overall, McFabulous is a very consistent horse that the yard think a lot of of.

Paul Nicholls, 11 time champion trainer, seems to have one of his strongest teams heading into this years national hunt season, with some top recruits in his ranks.

Ask For Glory is another one to take notice of having joined the yard back in 2018 off the back of landing a decent point to point and on his first start in a bumper at Chepstow he got off the mark in fine style.

Off the back of just one run for the yard he was put into the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and finished ninth of 14, running behind some top class horses.

He was next seen in November for the new season and stepping up to his first time over hurdles he was a fair fourth of 16 running behind stars like Son Of Camas and King Roland.

Like the others he franked the form of that maiden by getting off the mark at Wincanton in February and that was the last time he was seen on a racecourse.

He looks like the type to go chasing this season and being owned by the same people who have Topofthegame, he may follow in his footsteps.

Ballyadam is a hugely exciting youngster for Gordon Elliott being bought by Cheveley Park Stud after winning a three mile point to point by four lengths.

The ownership group have really set the national hunt scene alight over the last few years with recruiting Envoi Allen, Malone Road and A Plus Tard to name a few and this five year old could be just as good if not better.

He was seen twice last term, first time finishing third in a decent bumper at Navan before getting off the mark at the second time of asking, winning at Downpatrick by 18 lengths.

It was a breathtaking performance and the scope he takes forward to improve over hurdles this year makes him a very exciting runner and one to follow.

Dan Skelton seems to have winner after winner every years but does struggle to land the big race winners and he may have that horse this season with Third Time Lucki.

Having finished second in a point to point he was given to the Skelton yard and he ran in four bumpers last term winning two of them and placing on his final start.

He managed to finish a staying on fourth in the Grade One Champion Bumper behind Ferny Hollow, Appreciate It and Queens Brook, that will all turn out to be stars.

Skelton could have a monster on his hands, especially if taking to hurdles.

Another Paul Nicholls horse that could be a superstar this term is Pic D'orhy who is a horse that has offered so much potential and only towards the back end of last season started to show it.

This French exploit was with Francois Nicolle and was given to Nicholls in 2019 having been a smart horse in France, racing seven times to a high standard at Auteuil.

He took some time to mature in England, being shoved straight into the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham for his first run and finding it difficult.

Last season, again he found it hard to perform but in February something clicked and he managed to give a superb performance to land the Grade Three Betfair Hurdle.

He has not been seen since but if kicking on from that run he could be useful either over fences this term with Nicholls stating he is a big gelding that will go over the bigger obstacles this term.

Galleo Conti is a very obscure choice for a horse to follow this term with him being a french horse, having the potential of coming over to England for the big festivals.

The four year old has raced three times winning two of them and placing in another, with his two wins coming once over hurdles and last time out over fences.

The gelding has a superb pedigree being a half brother to the past superstar Silviniaco Conti and looks to be a chaser that has enough speed for two miles but can step up and extra half a mile aswell.

Plenty of scope with this horse and he should be kept an eye on in France.

This five year old son of Saint Des Saints could really turn out to be anything especially under the tutelage of Joseph O'Brien who is quickly becoming the best dual purpose trainer in the sport.

The gelding owned by Gigginstown showed plenty of ability last season winning his first two bumpers in comfortable style, but was poor on his final start when stepped up to Grade Two company.

However, that run can be drawn a line through with something not being right on the day and now stepping over hurdles he looks a serious Supreme Novice Hurdle contender.

The penultimate horse to follow from the 20 on show is Easy As That for Venetia Williams, who is not a trainer known for her bumper horses but seems to have an all round star with this gelding.

The five year old has been seen twice national hunt flat races and is still currently unbeaten winning two mile events at both Ffos Las and Musselburgh by a combined 17 lengths.

Williams is a trainer that gets horses who are soft and heavy ground specialists and this five year old fits that bill perfectly and just looks a typically determined runner from this yard.

Owners Kate and Andrew Brooks have had some smart horses over the years and they look to have another here if taking well to the obstacles.

They always say leave the best until last and one of our most obscure horses to follow for the season is the Gordon Elliott trained Gars De Sceaux.

The four year old has not been seen for the trainer yet having only raced in a point to point but the four year old went on to win the three mile contest by six lengths, looking like a highly progressive youngster.

The yard think a lot of this newcomer and over the years Gordon Elliott has unleashed some superstars off the back of winning similar point to point events.

Jamie Codd was on board the horse for his sole start and he looks like he will ride him in bumpers this term with the gelding currently 33/1 to land the Champion Bumper.