Andy Holding has given us 10 horses to follow in the 2023/24 National Hunt Season, with Jumps now back on the menu for horse racing fans.
10 horses to follow from oddschecker expert Andy Holding throughout the 2023/24 National Hunt Season, including one to watch in the Ballymore at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
When does the National Hunt Season start? Click here for everything you need to know.
Any Biscuits – Trained by Harry Derham
The early signs suggest Paul Nicholl’s ex-assistant is a chip off the old block and the Lambourn handler looks to have a well handicapped horse on his hands going into the new season.
A big improver since fitted with the tongue-tie, the son of Westerner proved a revelation on his second handicap start at Market Rasen and he duly followed up at Exeter a month later, this time beating a much more competitive field.
Niggled at turning for home, the six-year-old kept on gamely all the way down the straight and although he only ended up winning by a neck, the data suggested it was a better performance than at first glance.
To highlight the strength of the form for the grade, the likes of Ooh Betty, Getaway Tom, Kingfast have all won out of the race since (Hillsin should have won) and starting his new campaign off a mark (99) that still seems very lenient, he is expected to work his way through the ranks.
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Ballyburn – Trained by Willie Mullins
No discernible horse-to-follow list is worth a dime without the addition of a Willie Mullins-trained performer and in the shape of this son of Flemensfirth, he rates potentially as one of the picks from the Closutton yard going forward.
A smooth winner of an Irish point, the five-year-old has so far lived up to lofty expectations with two bumper victories and with the second of the pair creating a very favourable impression on all who witnessed the performance, it’s no surprise he is being talked up a potential Cheltenham festival contender already for next year.
What route he ends up going down remains to be seen, but as he has a nice blend of speed and stamina, it would come as little surprise if he ended up being a Ballymore horse come the spring.
Diamond Ri – Trained by Joe Tizzard
It’s very rare to find a well-run bumper outside of championship level, but the race this fella won at Warwick towards the backend of the season certainly bucked that trend.
Tout Sur Moi ensured the gallop was an honest one right from flag fall and by the time the field had exited the back straight, the son of Diamond Boy was the only one who latched on to the leader.
Soon picking up the running once straightening up for home, the four-year-old galloped on with plenty of purpose and even allowing for the fact he was eased down in the closing stages, he still posted a speed figure right up there with some of the best in that category throughout the season.
A strapping, chasing type, it won’t be until when he embarks on his career over fences we will see the best of him, but in the short term, he looks bound to competitive in novice hurdles – especially over galloping tracks with plenty of dig underfoot. All in all, a nice prospect in the making.
Florida Dreams – Trained by Nicky Richards
Nicky Richards’ inmate has already established himself as one of the best in his division last season, culminating in a victory in the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree, but surely what he did last term was all a bonus as his real future lies over hurdles and fences.
The way he accounted for 20 previous winners at the Merseyside venue backs up that view and even at this early stage, all those connected to Greystoke will be working backwards from one of the big festivals at the end of season.
Giovinco – Trained by Lucinda Russell
Another Grand National success cemented the Kinross handler as the standout Northern trainer in recent times and in the shape of this son of Walk In The Park, she has an extremely talented individual on her hands.
Following two impressive minor victories at Ayr and Carlisle in the spring, there was talk about the six-year-old taking his chance in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting before connections decided to keep their sights a little lower for the time being.
That said, he still faced five progressive opponents who had all shown useful form at a decent level but the way he turned them away with total distain at Perth on his final start of the campaign was something to behold.
Clearly a horse with a big engine on the evidence of that listed win, he heads into this season as one of the most exciting prospects housed in any stable in the UK and with his future surely lying over fences, it would come as no surprise if connections were to pursue that project rather than keep him over hurdles.
Manorbank – Trained by Emma Lavelle
A trainer who often has several nice types through her hands each season, the Wiltshire handler looks to have another fine prospect at her disposal in the shape of this son of Arcadio.
A wide-margin winner of a novice event at Chepstow in April, clocking a useful speed figure, the eight-year-old faced a well-fancied rival at Ffos Las next time out but, as it turned out, he made him look rather ordinary with the way he charged passed him in the closing stages.
Rising nine next year, one would assume fences lie in wait for this former bumper winner and given a proper test between 2m4f and 3m, he could turn out to be useful recruit.
Monbeg Park – Trained by Sean Doyle
Not a household name over in the UK by any stretch of the imagination but regular watchers of Irish racing will know how good this son of Walk In The Park is.
Apart from one poor run at Grade 1 level at Naas midway through last season, he was never out of the money in all his six other starts, and he rounded off his campaign with a deserved success at the Punchestown Festival.
Having been unluckily demoted after landing a competitive handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse’s Irish National meeting, the six-year-old was well supported to gain compensation back in novice company at the Co Kildare venue and, having travelled sweetly throughout, he duly delivered the goods once given the office late on.
Seen as a chasing type by connections, this smooth-travelling ex-point winner should more than pay his way in his new discipline at distances between 2m-2m4f.
Lord Snootie – Trained by Christian Williams
A former Irish point winner, the six-year-old chestnut is in the hands of a trainer who likes to bring them along gradually so the fact he was good enough to mix it against some top-quality handicap hurdlers with so little experience is testimony to his ability.
His final start of the campaign at the Punchestown festival, for instance, he stayed on very eye-catchingly in the latter stages after being in an uncompromising position leaving the back straight and it was a run that very much bodes well for the future.
Although it would have easy to add the winner of that race, Kilbeg King, onto the list, this son of Malinas is a little less obvious and - in any case - has just as good a chance of being a better long-term prospect than his conqueror in the care of one of the best staying chase trainers in the business.
Sandor Clegane – Trained by Paul Nolan
Paul Nolan has been desperate to fill the void left by top-class Latest Exhibition several years ago and in the shape of this ex-point winner, he looks as though he has another genuine Grade 1 horse on his hands.
After winning his maiden hurdle at Punchestown last November, the six-year-old was pitched straight into the very highest level at the DRF and although he came up just a little short on the day, it was a performance that totally justified connections’ faith.
Sent over the Irish Sea to contest the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, he ran a blinder to finish a creditable third and if it wasn’t for being virtually carried off the course at the top of the hill first time, there is a strong case to be made he would have won but for the interference.
Back to the scene of his initial hurdle success for the final start of his campaign, he duly made the most of a drop in grade despite a bad blunder at the second last, and he now heads into this season as one very much to look forward to over fences.
Theatre Man – Trained by Richard Bandey
Probably one of the nicest chasing prospects outside of the big yards and he should pay to follow accordingly for the forthcoming season.
Following a couple of promising efforts in bumpers, the son of Ocovango made an immediate impact over hurdles and he rounded off a productive campaign with an authoritative display at Kempton.
Up against two horses from powerful stables, the seven-year-old simply ran the pair into submission and it was a performance of a horse who will be seen to full effect when given similar tests further down the line.
Being a former Irish point runner up with plenty of size and scope, one would imagine he will be sent straight over fences and off a mark of 132, he looks one to bear in mind in a novices’ handicap before the turn of the new year.
