Ginger Joe picks out 10 horses to follow in the 2025/26 jumps season.
My UK Top 10 Horses to Follow list is built around horses I believe could slip under the radar but still deliver plenty of success throughout the season. Some are types I expect to rack up wins in ordinary company, others look capable of progressing into graded races, and there may even be one or two plotted for handicaps along the way.
The idea is simple: follow these horses closely, back them when they’re placed in the right spots, and stick to the plans I put on them, with the hope of finishing the season in profit.
Last year’s list produced The New Lion, flagged as a bumper horse before he went on to land two Grade 1s, including the Challow Hurdle and the Turners at the Cheltenham Festival, plus multiple other winners leaving us well in profit for the season.
These kind of results are exactly what I’m hoping to uncover again, and it’s something I take great pride in each season.
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#1 WENDIGO - Jamie Snowden & Racing Club - Novice Chaser
It might be a slightly biased pick for my number one horse to follow this season, as I’m a part-owner, but I couldn’t be more excited about Wendigo as he embarks on his novice chasing campaign. Before looking ahead, let’s take a quick look back at his journey so far. We bought him after he won a point at Taylorstown, and he has continued to improve with every run since. Naturally, we expect him to take well to fences, and there’s every reason to believe he can thrive in this sphere.
One thing that stands out with Wendigo is that he usually needs his first start of the season to come forward. He’s the type who benefits from blowing the cobwebs away before reaching peak fitness. That was clear in his bumper season, when he finished a close third to Aintree winner Wellington Arch on debut before stepping forward to win his next two bumpers in fine style. The same happened as a novice hurdler, beaten on debut, but he bolted up next time out before finishing second in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle to The New Lion who is now a Turners winner and current Champion Hurdle favourite.
From there, he went to Wetherby and won with ease before lining up in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham. He finished fifth, but we were clearly unlucky as he was badly interfered with just as Gavin was about to make his forward move on the bend, but that's racing, and we couldn't be more proud of him. And even after the interference, he stayed on strongly up the hill, confirming what we already knew, that Wendigo is quite a classy horse for the staying trips.
Looking ahead, we’ll be aiming to map out a route to Cheltenham. A similar path to The Jukebox Man last season seems likely. He to ran in the Challow Hurdle off the same mark as Wendigo before going on to win the Kauto Star. That gives us a nice blueprint to aim for. The main target at this stage is probably the Brown Advisory, though if he falls just short on class, the National Hunt Chase could be a strong alternative as he will stay.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
I would like to see him come on for his first run of the season, and hopefully we can pick up a Graded Novice Chase with him before Cheltenham. If we can get to Cheltenham and place in either race, that would be mission accomplished, but who knows, why not go for Gold
#2 ACT OF AUTHORITY - Olly Murphy & Diana Whateley - Handicap Hurdler
I think Act Of Authority has to make my 10 to follow this season after finishing second to Wodhooh in the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival. He has had 15 starts so far but hasn’t yet been sent over fences. I’m not sure if that’s by design, down to a jumping issue, or simply a case of patience from connections. It’s certainly interesting they’ve waited this long, especially considering he’s already one from one in points.
Whatever the reason, there’s surely a big pot in this gelding somewhere this season, particularly when Sean Bowen gets the leg up in a handicap hurdle or a chase. I’ve included him here for two reasons, and while we could see a few different outcomes, I believe he’ll succeed whichever route he takes. If he does go chasing, I suspect he may fall just short of the very top level based on his hurdles ability, and connections are quick enough to recognise that I'd say.
Over fences, he’d be up against younger, more progressive types. That’s why I wonder if Olly Murphy might instead aim him at one big target, and the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham looks the perfect fit. If we see him lining up in the Newbury Qualifier, I’ll be all over him for March. Of course, he could pick up a race before then, but his starting point this season will tell us plenty about his ultimate target. Either way, he’s a good horse with a serious engine, and he actually seemed to enjoy Cheltenham more than I expected. For me, he looks a plot in the making this season and I will back him all season long.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
Doesn’t look good enough to take on the better novice chasers so hurdling hopefully and If he goes down the Pertemps route, I'll back him in all of the qualifiers until he wins one. If he goes chasing, I will wait until late in the season once he has a handicap mark.
#3 DIGNAM - Joseph O’Brien & Paul Byrne - Juvenile Hurdler
I don’t know if anyone else has been watching, but it looks to me that Joseph O'Brien has a seriously good juvenile in the name of Dignam. He is of course, Irish trained, but he makes my UK Horses to follow list because I think he will follow our Juvenile programme over here in the UK.
It’s worth pointing out straight away that he’s still a colt, which is a little unusual. The reason is that he had already run 10 times on the flat, winning once over 7 furlongs, but he never really showed his best until switched to hurdles, and since then he’s been superb. On debut, he beat a horse called Lord, who has since bolted up for Olly Murphy. Next time, he beat Manyana Blue, who also bolted up last week. Then, carrying a double penalty, Dignam went to Cartmel and absolutely hosed up again, he's too progressive to ignore.
What’s also interesting is that JJ Slevin has come over for all three rides. That surely suggests they’re handpicking which juvenile hurdles they want to target. They could easily start at Chepstow, head to Cheltenham, then on to the Adonis, and potentially line up at the Festival if everything continues to go smoothly, with the Boodles or the Triumph Hurdle being the likely options. Joseph O’Brien has done this before by winning big UK juvenile races with the likes of Comfort Zone, so he knows exactly what it takes to succeed in this division and Dignam looks every inch a major player on the road to Cheltenham in March.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
Bolted up under a double penalty and will likely carry high weights in the Juvenile races, but I expect him to be seriously hard to beat on this side of the water. We should get plenty of wins out of him this season, and he has the scope to be very good.
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#4 KALIF DU BERLAIS - Paul Nicholls & Ferguson & co - Grade 1 Open Chaser
It’s going to be a difficult season for Paul Nicholls, but he’ll be as determined as ever to win races and I think Kalif Du Berlais is exactly the type of horse to help him do that. He’s only a 5yo and remains very much unexposed going into the season ahead and even though he’ll be stepping into deeper company, I believe he has the class to take it in his stride.
Including him in my horses to follow isn’t me suggesting he’s the next Master Minded or Azertyuiop, but he’s going to be running in the very top races, and I think he could well land one or two Grade 1s this season. With so many horses leaving the Nicholls yard, Kalif Du Berlais will have big shoes to fill but it also means alongside Caldwell Potter, he will get the full attention of the team. That alone could help them both outperform expectations.
Kalif is a likeable horse, a superb jumper of a fence, and I’m giving Nicholls the benefit of the doubt that with his full focus on him this season, that he can deliver some big wins with this horse as he steps into open company. He may ultimately be aimed at Aintree, but that could mean avoiding the conventional Champion Chase route, and If so, he might get the chance to pick up major prizes that Jonbon and others swerve. Either way, I expect him to outperform this season and win plenty of races with Paul Nicholls being an extremely good target trainer.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
I am putting a little bit of trust in Paul Nicholls being able to get the best out of Kalif Du Berlais now he has fewer horses to focus on. This puts Kalif Du Berlais much higher up the pecking order at Ditcheat this season. I think he can pick up a Grade 1 or a good Grade 2 before winning at Aintree, but hopefully 3 big wins on his resume this season. I am not being naive though, I am aware that the pressure is on for Nicholls and he could just bomb out, but I like this horse, so I'll take a chance.
#5 JAGWAR - Greenall & Guerrero & JP McManus - Handicap or Graded Chaser
The Greenall and Guerriero team have been improving year on year, and Jagwar looks like a really smart prospect for the season ahead. He began last season off a mark of just 118 and ended on 148 and fully deserved it too after winning four of his five starts. His only defeat came against Jingko Blue, who is a serious horse in his own right, but Jagwar kept progressing and capped his campaign by winning the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival.
He’s a horse who has improved with every run and does his best work late in his races, which I always like to see. Off a mark of 148, he still looks dangerously well handicapped, and I’d expect him to land some big pots this year. A very progressive horse who has all the attributes I like to see. He travels like a dream and strikes late, and that's a potent tactic to have in staying chases. Perhaps the Paddy Power could be on the agenda.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
Plenty of wins as the season goes on. He jumps well, improves through his races, and there is no doubt in my mind that he wins more this season too.
#6 NO DRAMA THIS END - Paul Nicholls & McNeill & Barber - Novice Hurdler
Before putting my list together, I didn’t expect to have two Paul Nicholls horses in my top 10 to follow, but No Drama This End looks like one worth keeping onside. I don’t think he’s going to be a world-beater by any means, but he does strike me as this year’s Nicholls horse for races like the Challow Hurdle, a contest Nicholls has often used as a springboard for his top novices.
He’ll probably get a fairly straightforward opening assignment and then be allowed to build from there as the season progresses. Looking back at last season, he made a winning debut, pulling four lengths clear of Keops Des Bordes, who himself is highly regarded for the season ahead. Although the pair came well clear, No Drama This End looked the obvious standout to me. He only needed to be nudged out to get the job done, and I’m not convinced Keops has the same engine as the winner.
From there, he went straight to Cheltenham for the Grade 1 bumper, and to be fair, he ran a very solid race. I don’t think that particular bumper form is going to work out all that strong, but it’s worth remembering that Nicholls rarely asks much from his bumper horses, and he doesn’t like to give them a hard race. So, finishing nine lengths behind Bambino Fever might not be as bad as it looks on paper, especially as he was hampered and knocked about a few times on the final circuit, which was far from ideal.
All in all, I think Nicholls has deliberately left plenty of room for improvement with this horse, clearly with his novice hurdle campaign in mind.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
I don't think Nicholls has a better bumper horse this season, and I expect him to win plenty of races. A nice pedigree, shown plenty, he will grow physically, and he is very unexposed. A lot more to come, and hopefully he can win the Challow Hurdle!
#7 IMPERIAL SAINT - Phillip Hobbs & Richard Johnson Racing - Handicap Chaser
In my 10 to Follow list, I like to nominate a horse with a specific race in mind. This season, my pick is Imperial Saint for the Ultima Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, as I believe he is an ideal type for the race.
His jumping is rock-solid, and I’ve always liked strong, forward-going horses which is exactly what he is. He can bowl along in front with no problem, but he’s equally capable of being ridden with hold-up tactics. I’m convinced he’ll be trained with that one big day as the main target.
Off a mark of 144, his rating is workable, and if the handicapper can shave a few pounds between now and March, he’ll be very well treated on the day. Don’t underestimate this tough and genuine son of Saint des Saints, I firmly believe there’s a big prize in him this season, and I’m hoping it comes in the Ultima.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
This is the horse I want to pick a race for, and hopefully come March, he lines up in the Ultima, and who knows, maybe even win the race
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#8 MEETMEBYTHESEA - Ben Pauling & JP McManus - Novice Chase
Meetmebythesea caught my eye as a really impressive horse last season, and I think he’s well worth following as he embarks on his novice chase campaign. When I did a stable tour with Ben Pauling last season, he flagged this horse as one to keep an eye on.
The fact that Meetmebythesea performed so well last season has even encouraged J.P McManus to send another potentially smart juvenile in the name of Mojito Des Mottes to Ben this year. As for Meetmebythesea, he was highly impressive in his first three starts. Ben mentioned at the time that the horse wasn’t fully wound up for those runs, he was simply letting him learn on the job, with the plan of keeping him fresh for this season given his sizeable frame.
On his fourth start, he contested a Grade 3 and, although he was narrowly beaten into third, Ben admitted he was astonished he got beat. It turned out the horse scoped dirty afterwards, which explains the defeat and makes the run even more promising. It all suggests there’s plenty more to come.
While they’ll give him an easy time this season, once he fills his frame he could develop into a real force over fences and I am going to really enjoy watching this horses development. I’m a big admirer of Pauling as a trainer, and I like that he’s taking a patient approach with this horse given his physical attributes. As Ben himself said, “he’ll tell us when he’s ready.”
The fact he’s already shown such ability suggests there’s a serious engine under the bonnet. He’s full of speed and will start out over two miles for sure, and when Ben ups the paces with this fella at home, he could be very smart!
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
Depending on how highly he is tried, will depend on how many novice chases he will win this season, but whatever happens, he will be winning a few races this season. He could turn into a graded horses towards the end of the season.
#9 LEGENDARY LUKE - Jamie Snowden & Racing Club - Novice Hurdler
It again might seem slightly biased of me to include Legendary Luke as a part-owner, but I genuinely believe he’s a very good horse who can win a few nice novice hurdle races this season. Jamie is keen to get him started over hurdles this season as a 5-year-old, and he showed real class in his only point-to-point start to date.
That run came at Ballycrystal, where he won impressively in a time eight seconds quicker than the average. He jumped beautifully yet still had a good look around, suggesting he was only doing things half-heartedly and has plenty more to offer. His work at home with Jamie has genuinely been impressive, and his dam is a half-sister to Native River, a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.
I’ll be backing him throughout the season, so he deserves his place on my “horses to follow” list. He’s here with real expectation though, I wouldn’t include him without good reason.
My Expectation as a horse to follow:
I expect him to win a few nice novice hurdles this season, and hopefully by backing him all season, we will come out with profit.
#10 BOSSMAN JACK - Dan Skelton & Exors Of The Late N W Lake - Novice Hurdler
Two bumper horses have made it onto my “horses to follow” list this season. No Drama This End for Paul Nicholls, and Bossman Jack for the Dan Skelton team, a horse a few friends and I stumbled across back in January.
We nicknamed Ian Rayner from the Cheltenham Exchange “Bossman,” so naturally we all tuned in to watch Bossman Jack’s debut and he absolutely sluiced up at Wincanton! He was dropped out the back early on, which is typical of how the Skeltons like to educate their bumper horses, but he travelled so well that he effortlessly pulled his way through the field on the bridle before easing clear.
For me, it was the most visually striking bumper performance of last season, and he could be very smart when sent over hurdles. If you followed me last season, you’ll remember I flagged The New Lion as my bumper horse to follow into novice hurdles and he went on to do great things. This year, I think Bossman Jack could be that horse for the Skeltons.
He’s got speed, clearly handles cut in the ground, and I expect him to be highly tried over hurdles
