Racing TV's presenters and pundits Jumps horses to follow
Our top team of presenters and pundits have revealed a horse each to keep a close eye on during the 2023-24 Jumps season. Make sure you add each one to your Racing TV Tracker to be notified when they are entered + declared to run!
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This time last year our presenters and pundits picked out winner after winner, including four-time scorer Gaelic Warrior (Ruby Walsh), hat-trick notchers Strong Leader (Dan Barber) and Mighty Potter (Lisa O’Neill), three-time winner Flame Bearer (Fran Berry), dual scorers Deeply Superficial (Tom Bull) Bo Zenith (Mark Howard), Il Etait Temps (Gary O’Brien) and Champ Kiely (Angus McNae).
There were also wins for Boy De La Vis, a 9-2 winner on his only start, (Peter Naughton), Three Stripe Life (Alex Steedman), Crystal Glory (Nick Lightfoot), Your Own Story (Ed Watson) and Beauport (John O’Connell).
Our expert team have again compiled a list of horses to stay on the right side of during the 2023-24 Jumps season. Simply click on the horse’s name and then the binocular icon. You can keep track of your horses via the Racing TV Tracker page (click here).
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DAN BARBER
Horse: Yorkshire Man Sam.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Mark Walford.
Click here to add Yorkshire Man Sam to your Racing TV Tracker.
Yorkshire Man Sam's power-packed finishes to fill third at Ayr andNewcastle marked him out as a sure-fire winner over longer trips once hurdling. His good-class pedigree, featuring plenty of winners (including According To Pete for the same owners), is another recommendation for him.
FRAN BERRY
Horse: Mister Policeman.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Willie Mullins.
Click here to add Mister Policeman to your Racing TV Tracker.
A hurdle winner in France, he was ultra-impressive on debut last April at Cork when easily beating 142 and 150-rated rivals. Although he can’t compete as a novice this season, he has a mass of untapped potential, and it will be very interesting to see how he develops and what route his connections go with him.
GORDON BROWN
Horse: Dunnet Head.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Iain Jardine.
Click here to add Dunnet Head to your Racing TV Tracker.
I’m told connections are really excited about going handicapping with this lightly-raced, strapping five-year-old. Named after the northernmost point on mainland Britain, he has a very workable mark of 106 and hails from a family boasting a fair bit of stamina. He’s matured and strengthened so look out for him later in the autumn when the easier ground will be to his liking.
RACHEL CASEY
Horse: Slade Steel.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead.
Click here to add Slade Steel to your Racing TV Tracker.
Slade Steel is a horse that can compete at the very top this season. He was a point-to-point winner at Dawstown in May last year. He won his first bumper at Punchestown in December cosily. He ran a nice race behind the very well-regarded Ballyburn in a very hot race on his next outing there at the festival. He looks a horse that has great potential over a longer trip in Graded Novice Hurdle races. He also seems versatile with ground conditions – and trained by a genius!
MARTIN DIXON
Horse: Galia Des Liteaux.
Age: 7yo mare.
Trainer: Dan Skelton.
Click here to add Galia Des Liteaux to your Racing TV Tracker.
She is a mare I was impressed with right through her novice chase season in 2022/23. She won twice, including when dominant in a Grade Two at Warwick, jumping boldly that day and showing plenty of pace for a mare running over 3m. It was tough for her against the boys at Cheltenham and Aintree subsequently, but she shaped well on both occasions and should have a productive season in mares’ races and top-end handicaps.
NIALL HANNITY
Horse: Brighterdaysahead.
Age: 4yo filly.
Trainer: Gordon Elliott.
Click here to add Brighterdaysahead to your Racing TV Tracker.
Looked a useful prospect when galloping clear in a bumper at Fairyhouse at Easter. Being a half-sister to the yard’s ill-fated, but very talented, Mighty Potter, there is no reason why she won’t improve for a switch to hurdles and there will be a strong programme for her this season. She’s surely one to keep on side.
RICHARD HOILES
Horse: Insanity.
Age: 3yo gelding.
Trainer: Alan King.
Click here to add Insanity to your Racing TV Tracker.
I really liked him when I was commentating at Windsor on his belated Flat debut. Gelded after running poorly at Chelmsford, he proved he handled cut in the ground when getting off the mark at Ffos Las, all of which bodes well for a crack at juvenile hurdling. He has been schooling and connections report a hurdles campaign will follow after one or two more runs on the level.
MARK HOWARD
Horse; Florida Dreams.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Nicky Richards.
Click here to add Florida Dreams to your Racing TV Tracker.
Nicky Richards has handled some high-class horses over the years, and is understandably excited by the prospect of sending this unbeaten five-year-old over hurdles this winter. Following a comfortable success on his debut at Musselburgh at the turn of the year, the Doyen gelding followed up in the Grade Two championship bumper at Aintree on Grand National day. Blessed with plenty of speed, he will pot hunt in the north before Christmas, and have his sights upped in the second half of the season.
STEVE JONES
Horse: Iroko.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero.
Click here to add Iroko to your Racing TV Tracker.
The training partnership of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero really took off last season. The pair celebrated their first Cheltenham Festival winner with Martin Pipe Hurdle hero Iroko, and he went on to finish third in the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. He should do even better over fences around three miles.
NICK LIGHTFOOT
Horse: Iroko.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero.
Click here to add Iroko to your Racing TV Tracker.
He was a pretty extraordinary winner of the Martin Pipe conditional jockeys’ race at the Cheltenham Festival, having looked in real trouble at one stage. He then finished his season with a fine third, up in both trip and grade, at Aintree. Novice chasing is the next step and Iroko will bid to follow some illustrious names who won the Martin Pipe before going on to have outstanding careers over the bigger obstacles.
JANE MANGAN
Horse: Tullyhill.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Willie Mullins.
Click here to add Tullyhill to your Racing TV Tracker.
After impressing on his bumper debut at Gowran, it was a huge performance to scare A Dream To Share in the Champion Bumper at Punchestown. He’s big, has proven his ability to jump in points, and I think he could be very good over obstacles this season.
DONN McCLEAN
Horse: Gerri Colombe.
Age: 7yo gelding.
Trainer: Gordon Elliott.
Click here to add Gerri Colombe to your Racing TV Tracker.
Unbeaten in point-to-points, in bumpers and over hurdles, it still always looked likely that it was as a steeplechaser that Gerri Colombe would come into his own, and he embarked on that path last season, winning his beginners’ chase and two Grade One chases before going down by just a short head in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Gordon Elliott’s charge was impressive on his final run last season, too, easily landing the Grade One Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree. A son of Saddler Maker, seven rising eight and with just five runs over fences on his CV, there is every chance that he will improve again this season as a staying chaser. He could be a big player in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture.
ANGUS McNAE
Horse: Filey Bay.
Age: 7yo gelding.
Trainer: Emmett Mullins.
Click here to add Filey Bay to your Racing TV Tracker.
This lightly-raced hurdler is sure to be well placed by his shrewd trainer. He was second in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury and third in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last season and those type of races will be on the agenda again. Whilst a high end handicap is his for the taking, it’s not fanciful to see him making up into a Champion Hurdle prospect given his untapped potential over hurdles.
JAMES MILLMAN
Horse: Bowenspark.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Henry Daly.
Click here to add Bowenspark to your Racing TV Tracker.
An imposing son of Walk In The Park that impressed when winning bumpers at Uttoxeter and Warwick before looking unlucky at Aintree (watch above). Could well follow in the footsteps of Hillcrest over hurdles this season and is another potential star for Henry Daly.
PETER NAUGHTON
Horse: Sageburg County.
Age: 6yo gelding.
Trainer: Warren Greatrex.
Click here to add Sageburg County to your Racing TV Tracker.
I presented Racing TV from Market Rasen in mid-May and witnessed a stunning performance from Sageburg County in the extended 2m5f handicap chase. Warren Greatrex’s progressive six-year-old travelled strongly and only needed to be shaken up to win, with the promise of much more to come when up in class. This winning Irish pointer is extremely exciting, and will stay further.
For more of Peter’s free Notebook horses, click here.
MEGAN NICHOLLS
Horse: Captain Teague.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Paul Nicholls.
Click here to add Captain Teague to your Racing TV Tracker.
A rare runner for Paul Nicholls in the champion bumper shows how highly he is regarded. A horse that has ridiculous amounts of raw ability and showed this, as well as signs of inexperience, at the Cheltenham Festival, despite running a huge race. A big season over hurdles awaits, and I’m sure we’ll see him at the very top level.
GARY O’BRIEN
Horse: Ballyburn.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Willie Mullins.
Click here to add Ballyburn to your Racing TV Tracker.
He swerved Cheltenham last season, but I will be disappointed if he doesn’t line up there next March as a leading contender for one of the novice hurdles. In winning both of his bumpers at Punchestown emphatically, he marked himself down as a hugely exciting prospect to go jumping with and his point-to-pointing experience should stand him in good stead in that sphere.
JOHN O’CONNELL
Horse: Inthepocket.
Age: 6yo gelding.
Trainer: Henry De Bromhead.
Click here to add Inthepocket to your Racing TV Tracker.
For a horse with just five runs over hurdles behind him, Inthepocket has already achieved plenty in winning a Grade Two at Naas and a Grade One at Aintree’s Grand National meeting. Now ready to turn his attentions to fences, the son of Blue Bresil will be best up to two and a half miles, and it will be disappointing if he isn’t featuring at the Festivals next spring.
LISA O’NEILL
Horse: Brighterdaysahead.
Age: 4yo filly.
Trainer: Gordon Elliott.
Click here to add Brighterdaysahead to your Racing TV Tracker.
She is extremely impressive in all she has done so far, winning a competitive sales bumper when last seen. She is even more impressive as a physical specimen and from an exceptional jumping pedigree. An exciting prospect turning her attention over hurdles, proven on winter ground and sure to train into a top-notch novice this season.
KEVIN O’RYAN
Horse: My Trump Card.
Age: 5yo gelding.
Trainer: Gordon Elliott.
Click here to add My Trump Card to your Racing TV Tracker.
His only run to date was in a Navan maiden hurdle in late November last year (watch above). Although this four-year-old only finished fourth he was eye catching as he made a couple of mistakes and looked quite green. The race has worked out well with five subsequent winners coming out of it including Buddy One who finished back in sixth and who was subsequently very unlucky not to win at both Cheltenham and Aintree. He’s a horse that could start off in a bumper and could develop into a smart novice hurdler.
TOM STANLEY
Trainer: Hermes Allen.
Age: 6yo gelding.
Trainer: Paul Nicholls.
Click here to add Hermes Allen to your Racing TV Tracker.
Very impressive in winning the Challow but disappointed at Cheltenham and again, to a lesser extent, at Aintree. He should kick on again over fences this year and, though he could come up short against the Irish at the Spring festivals, he should mop up a few races en route.
ALEX STEEDMAN
Horse: Monbeg Genius.
Age: 7yo gelding.
Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill.
Click here to add Monbeg Genius to your Racing TV Tracker.
Quality long-distance handicaps will be on the agenda for Monbeg Genius who improved through novice races last season to finish third in the Ultima at the Festival. We didn’t get to gauge his stamina thereafter as he didn’t run in the Scottish National, but Newbury could be a good starting point this term with Aintree the ultimate destination for this improving chaser.
RUBY WALSH
Horse: Facile Vega.
Age: 6yo gelding.
Trainer: Willie Mullins.
Click here to add Facile Vega to your Racing TV Tracker.
Pedigrees will never be my mastermind subject of choice but, of the few I do understand, this one screams of progress with age. He has already achieved quite a bit, but some will still feel underachieved for the hype surrounding him. Yet I have lost no faith in Facile Vega, whom I believe will only improve at six, rising seven and again at seven to eight, just like his mother and plenty on the dam’s side of his family. He bombed out at the Dublin Racing Festival and flattened out in the Supreme, which made him look mortal and allowed people to question him. That’s the beauty of opinions, but I am still with him and believe he will start to come of age this season.
ED WATSON
Horse: Giovinco.
Age: 6yo gelding.
Trainer: Lucinda Russell.
Click here to add Giovinco to your Racing TV Tracker.
Lucinda Russell finished a career-high sixth in the trainers’ championship last term and, following her recent link-up with Michael Scudamore, the dual Grand National-winning handler’s Arlary House base is bursting at the seams with talent. Corach Rambler, Ahoy Senor and Apple Away will lead the assault on some of the sport’s major prizes this winter but expect Giovinco to emerge as a potential top-notcher over fences come the spring. The son of Walk In The Park was unbeaten in three starts over hurdles, the latter of those coming when slamming five previous winners by a dozen lengths and more in a quality Listed event at Perth in April. Even more impressively, he did so without even coming off the bridle.
