Horses To Follow

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Horses To Follow This Season

We asked last season’s leading trainers to choose one horse to follow for the coming season and this is what they suggested.

Peter Bowen, Trainer

SIR JOHNSON

5y chestnut gelding

Deploy-Little Daphne

Trained by Peter Bowen Owned by Steve and Jackie Fleetham

He has done really well in bumpers so far this year and won nicely at Aintree on his latest start to make it four wins in a row. He will now go over hurdles and I am expecting him to keep on improving all the way through to Cheltenham. He will eventually make a chaser, but I am sure he will prove decent to follow over hurdles first.

Tom George, Trainer

FORGOTTEN GOLD (Ire)

5y bay gelding

Dr Massini-Ardnataggle

Trained by Tom George Owned by Mr and Mrs R Cornock

Forgotten Gold should prove one to follow this winter as I think it is just a matter of time before he starts winning races. He did well in his Irish point-to-point career and made his debut for me at Chepstow where he ran very well in a maiden hurdle over three miles. On reflection, that was probably a bit far and he will be better suited by two miles four or five. I like him a lot.

Nicky Henderson, Trainer

SIMONSIG

5y grey gelding

Fair Mix-Dusty Too

Trained by Nicky Henderson Owned by Ron Bartlett

Simonsig is a young horse that I am very excited about. He won two of his three point-to-points in Ireland and looked a bit unlucky in the other as he was closing in on the leaders and still going well when he fell three out. He finished off last season by winning the champion bumper at Fairyhouse very easily and will now go novice hurdling. With any luck he should prove a real star in the making.

Philip Hobbs, Trainer

FINGAL BAY (Ire)

5y bay gelding

King’s Theatre-Lady Margueritte

Trained by Philip Hobbs Owned by Mrs R J Skan

Fingal Bay is an amazing horse. He has run twice and won twice without being extended on either occasion and I was delighted with him at Chepstow last time. I wouldn’t run him on firm, but otherwise he should have no problems with the ground and as he is still looking green, I am hopeful that he will keep on improving throughout the season.

Alan King, Trainer

JETNOVA (Ire)

6y bay gelding

Luso-Yamashina

Trained by Alan King Owned by David Sewell

Started his career with me by finishing third at Newton Abbot last season and then kept on improving all season and finished up winning three of his eight races the last of them in a competitive handicap hurdle at Wincanton before he ran at both Cheltenham and Aintree. He will go novice chasing this winter and should do well. He is a horse that I like a lot.

Emma Lavelle, Trainer

HIGHLAND VALLEY (Ire)

6y chestnut gelding

Flemensfirth-Loch Lomond

Trained by Emma Lavelle Owned by M E Thompson

Highland Valley did very well in his novice hurdles last year, winning twice at Exeter and running a good race in the Neptune at Cheltenham in March. He will start off in a valuable handicap hurdle at Haydock on Betfair Chase day and then will go novice chasing. He will stay three miles well and I shall be disappointed if he does not develop into a smart young chaser.

Charlie Longsdon, Trainer

HIDDEN KEEL

6y grey gelding

Kirkwall-Royal Keel

Trained by Charlie Longsdon Owned by J F Horn & the late Mrs M E Matthey

Hidden Keel started last season with a win over hurdles, but then went novice chasing in the second half of the season and took to fences well, winning three of his five starts, the final two at Exeter. He will do well over two-and-a-half miles and though he is rated 149 but is only a six-year-old so, fingers crossed, he will turn out to be a very nice horse.

Donald McCain, Trainer

KING’S GRACE

5y bay gelding

King’s Theatre-Beauchamp Grace

Trained by Donald McCain Owned by Tim Leslie

Had just the one race last season when he made all the running to win his bumper at Bangor and did it with some style. He will go novice hurdling this year and should make his mark. Ideally, I think he will be suited by two-and-a-half miles or more.

Gary Moore, Trainer

GRAB THE GLORY (Ire)

5y bay gelding

Accordion-Full Of Surprises

Trained by Gary Moore Owned by Stanley J Cohen

I love this horse and I am really hopeful for him. He did well in bumpers last season and impressed me on his first run over hurdles when he was a close second at Fontwell and though the winner rather let the form down next time, my horse did blow up three out so he should have plenty of improvement to come. I think he will prove well worth following.

Ferdy Murphy, Trainer

IBN HIYYAN (USA)

4y grey or roan gelding

El Prado-Lovely Later

Trained by Ferdy Murphy Owned by C Eliades & C McHugh

I bought this horse out of Mark Johnston’s yard last year and ran him four times last season. He will start off in novice handicap hurdles and has been working fantastic at home while we have been waiting for a bit of juice in the ground. He looks an exceptionally nice horse and I have high hopes for him.

Paul Nicholls, Trainer

HINTERLAND (Fra)

3y bay gelding

Poliglote-Queens Place

Trained by Paul Nicholls Owned by Pontensis Ltd & Chris Giles

Has come to me from France where he was trained by Guillaume Macaire. He is a typical Macaire horse with all the size and scope to make a chaser. He was second on his only start on the Flat and then won a listed hurdle race by 10 lengths in testing ground at Auteuil in May, a race that has thrown up a lot of winners. He looks a very exciting addition to my juvenile hurdles team.

Jonjo O’Neill, Trainer

MISTER HYDE (Ire)

6y bay gelding

Mansonnien–Keep Me

Trained by Jonjo O’Neill Owned by Bensaranat Club & W McLuskey

Mister Hyde is a horse I like a lot. He won twice last season and I have been confident of him improving, but he ran unaccountably badly on his seasonal debut at Chepstow. I am hoping it was a one off as I really think he is a nice horse and that he will show his true worth when he goes over fences next time. He should do well as a novice chaser.

David Pipe, Trainer

ARRAYAN

6y bay gelding

Catcher In The Rye-Ganga

Trained by David Pipe Owned by Mrs Angela Tincknell & W Tincknell

Won twice over hurdles last season, a novices handicap hurdle at Wincanton and a handicap at Hereford when he started odds on favourite. He was unlucky not to complete the hat-trick as he was well clear jumping the last at Taunton when his rider was unseated. He should make a nice novice chaser over two-and-a-half miles this winter, particularly when the going is soft.

Lucinda Russell, Trainer

BRINDISI BREEZE (Ire)

5y bay gelding

King’s Theatre-Miss Poutine

Trained by Lucinda Russell Owned by Sandy Seymour

Brindisi Breeze is very much a dark horse as I have only just bought him for Sandy Seymour. He won his point-to-point in Ireland in a time that was 11 seconds faster than anything else on the day and while he is not over big, he is a very handy horse. He is very likely to stick to bumpers this season, but could go novice hurdling at any time and whatever I am sure he will prove a good horse to follow.

Colin Tizzard, Trainer

HANDY ANDY (Ire)

5y bay gelding

Beneficial-Maslam

Trained by Colin Tizzard Owned by Brocade Racing

I like this horse a lot. He won a point-to-point in Ireland and then won on his debut for me in a competitive novices hurdle at Newbury in March, so I decided to let him take his chance at Aintree, but he didn’t run at all well there. I think he can be forgiven that one bad run as he is a very nice horse and I think he will do well in novice chases this season.

Nigel Twiston Davies, Trainer

SYBARITE (Fra)

5y bay/brown gelding

Dark Moondancer-Haida III

Trained by Nigel Twiston Davies Owned by Raymond Mould

He got off to a winning start in a bumper at Uttoxeter and then ran well in some competitive novice hurdles at Cheltenham and Kempton and rounded off his campaign with a very creditable run in the Albert Bartlett a Cheltenham in March. He has been schooled over fences at home and looks very good so I am hoping he will be very useful in novice chases this season.

Tim Vaughan, Trainer

JIMBILL (Ire)

5y bay or brown gelding

Flying Legend-Ah Gowan

Trained by Tim Vaughan Owned by M E Moore & B Ead

Jimbill won a point-to-point in Ireland and has looked a nice bumper horse. He won on his debut for me at Newton Abbot in October and you are likely to see him again in the competitive bumper at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power meeting. Whatever happens there, I am sure that he will win his share of races this year as he is a horse with scope and there is a lot of improvement in him.

Paul Webber, Trainer

CANTLOW (Ire)

6y bay gelding

Kayf Tara-Winnowing

Trained by Paul Webber Owned by R V Shaw

I was tempted to nominate Time For Rupert again, but I am going for Cantlow as I think he could prove an exciting horse to follow. He made giant strides last season from Fontwell to Ludlow to Aintree and looks to have a lot more improvement in him. He started off in the grade two West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby and we think it will be worth having a crack at the long distance hurdles with him this season.

Evan Williams, Trainer

WILLIAM’S WISHES (Ire)

6y bay gelding

Oscar-Strong Wishes

Trained by Evan Williams Owned by Mrs D E Cheshire

William’s Wishes is a horse I like a lot. He won two of his last three races over hurdles and last season was unbeaten in three novice chases and he will start off in either the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter or in a good race at Ascot. He lacks a bit of size for a chaser, but he is very athletic and is a very decent horse. I think he will win races over fences this season.

Nick Williams, Trainer

DIAMOND HARRY

8y bay gelding

Sir Harry Lewis-Swift Conveyance

Trained by Nick Williams Owned by Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership

Diamond Harry has been a fantastic servant to the yard and has won 10 of his 13 races including last season’s Hennessy Gold Cup, which was his only start of the season. He looks to be fine at home, but we are not making any plans for him, but taking it a race at a time. He is at his best in soft ground.