Racing UK presenters and pundits select their jumps horses to follow

The Racing UK team were on fire this time last year, with Dave Nevison and Angus McNae pinpointing three-time winners Rene’s Girl (including at 20-1 on her seasonal debut) and Champagne Classic (including at 12-1 and 14-1). Finian’s Oscar also went in three times for John O’Connell.

Two-time winners included Slate House (Niall Hannity) and Nomoreblackjack (Kate Sigsworth), while Duel At Dawn (David Fitzgerald), Bastien (Tom Stanley), Our Duke (Sam Turner) and Ravenhill Road (Mark Howard) were also on the scoresheet.

Our expert team of pundits and presenters have compiled a list of horses to stay on the right side of during the upcoming jumps season.

Horse: Two For Gold

Trainer: Kim Bailey

Age: 5

I have a small involvement in Two For Gold, who was victorious in two bumpers last year and ran well in a Listed bumper at Ascot.

The plan is for him to go novice hurdling and I know that Kim and the team think he has plenty of ability.

He looks to have summered very well and I expect him to be a horse to give myself and his backers a bit of fun and something to cheer this campaign.

Horse: Our Lucas

Trainer: Iain Jardine

Age: 6

This is a horse that has been a model of consistency since arriving from Ireland and is now under the care of Iain Jardine.

He's had one of two minor issues resolved and is likely to be campaigned shrewdly by his switched-on connections (his owner used to be a bookmaker!).

Decent ground over hurdles is likely to see him continue on a progressive curve.

Horse: Morning Vicar

Trainer: Nicky Henderson

Age: 5

A winner of a Newbury bumper on his debut, he signed off for the season with a good second to a well-regarded newcomer at Warwick in April.

He was still very much a work in progress then, and he will hopefully take high rank in novice hurdles this season for his powerful stable.

Horse: Huntsman Son

Trainer: Alex Hales

Age: 8

Novice chasing beckons for Huntsman Son this season.

Two hurdling wins last term were followed by a Cheltenham Trials Day second, before this talented eight-year-old signed off when he finished fourth in an ultra-competitive Imperial Cup at Sandown.

He is likely be campaigned between 2m and 2m4f and connections will be hopeful that he is good enough to be heading to the big festival meetings come the spring.

Horse: Constantine Bay

Trainer: Nicky Henderson

Age: 7

Having reportedly recovered from the issue which kept him away from the track last season, he can hopefully make up for lost time, especially if he goes novice chasing.

He would have gone close in the Albert Bartlett but for being badly hampered and has the class to succeed at the highest level over staying trips.

Horse: Never Adapt

Trainer: Willie Mullins

Age: 3

It is early days to be thinking about the Triumph Hurdle but Willie Mullins has taken charge of this potentially exciting three-year-old.

A daughter of Anabaa Blue, she won her only start for Guillaume Macaire by ten lengths in March and, while she isn’t a household name at present, she might be by next spring.

Vautour came from the same source and he didn’t turn out too bad!

Horse: Just In Time

Trainer: Alan King

Age: 4

Connections have a big decision to make regarding him - simply whether to go hurdling or not this early in his career.

He has a great strike-rate on the flat (6 wins from 14 starts) and he could have an even bigger future on the flat, but he also looks an ideal sort for hurdling.

He appears to handle any type of ground and has won on galloping and tight tracks at up to 1m6f and looks another ideal dual-purpose performer for his trainer.

Horse: Seddon

Trainer: Tom George

Age: 5

Tom George had the two top novice hurdlers in Britain last season and he looks to have another young star on his hands with Seddon.

He was successful on his debut and moved like a good horse in the Champion Bumper when the testing conditions were against him.

Decent ground and a longer trip will be ideal over hurdles. Won on his hurdling bow in good style at Stratford last week.

Horse: Master Tommytucker

Trainer: Paul Nicholls

Age: 7

Master Tommytucker was two from two over hurdles before falling on his chasing debut in October.

He has been a slow developer, highlighted by the fact that his career didn’t even begin until he was a seven-year-old.

However, I believe he will make up for lost time despite not getting off to the best start over fences.

He has won both of his races at Exeter and I was especially taken with the debut win which came on a freezing afternoon in late February.

He made a serious mistake at the last hurdle before regaining momentum – and quickly – to defeat the then-125-rated Molineaux.

Horse: Balko Des Flos

Trainer: Henry De Bromhead

Age: 7

Balko Des Flos put up a scintillating performance to win the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last March on ground that should have been softer than ideal for him.

Last season’s Ryanair Chase was only a six-horse race, but Henry de Bromhead’s horse clocked a fast time in winning it, and runner-up Un De Sceaux went on to win big races at the Fairyhouse and Punchestown festivals.

He obviously goes well at Cheltenham, he is at his best on goodish ground, and there is no knowing how high he could go this term.

Horse: William Henry

Trainer: Nicky Henderson

Age: 8

William Henry has plenty of potential over fences despite one abortive attempt in that sphere.

He finished last season rated 154 over hurdles having won the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton off a rating of 150.

He is sure to have been well schooled and could be an exciting novice chaser for the forthcoming season.

He will be effective from two and a half to three miles and seems to handle any ground. He was also pitched into a Class Two Novice Chase at Cheltenham on his debut over fences gives us a clue as to how highly he is regarded.

Horse: Meep Meep

Trainer: Tom Lacey

Age: 5

I got it right with Rene’s Girl last year and I am sticking to a similar formula.

Meep Meep is a lightly-raced mare from an upwardly mobile stable and starts the season as a novice over hurdles.

Tom Lacey has increased his winners tally in each of the last five years and will certainly do that again in 2018.

A good mare can always find races to win and I fully expect Meep Meep to be really well placed in the winter and win two or three before hopefully challenging for the major mares races in the spring.

She will not be the only one her trainer does well with, however, and I will be keeping Lacey onside all season.

Horse: Time To Move On

Trainer: Fergal O'Brien

Age: 5

A winner of both his starts in bumpers at Exeter, Time To Move On looks an exciting prospect for the forthcoming Jumps season.

Most impressive on debut, he was then no more than workmanlike on the second occasion, where a slowly-run contest didn’t see him to best effect.

Time To Move On has scope for lots of improvement over obstacles.

Horse: Mister Whitaker

Trainer: Mick Channon

Age: 6

An extremely progressive novice chaser that ended his season by winning the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap at the Festival.

His rating has gone from 118 to 145 but as he only just does enough, he is open to plenty more progress as a second-season chaser.

Horse: Nick Lost

Trainer: Henry De Bromhead

Age: 6

It's a long time since a horse has excited me as much as Nick Lost, who has looked magnificent since switching to fences in the summer.

The combination of larger obstacles and good ground have seen Henry De Bromhead's classy six-year-old produce superb rounds of jumping at Punchestown and Limerick.

This free-going gelding will be aimed at major prizes on decent ground and he has enormous potential.

Horse: Santini

Trainer: Nicky Henderson

Age: 6

If there was one horse to capture the imagination as a future top-class chaser last season then it was Santini.

Still very inexperienced when he finished an excellent third in the Albert Bartlett, he soon made amends at Aintree in the Grade One Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

He already has the make and shape of a chaser and it would not be a surprise to see him take high rank as a staying novice chaser in the 2018/19 season with the RSA Chase the obvious target for the season.

Horse: Truckers Lodge

Trainer: Paul Nicholls

Age: 6

Truckers Lodge had the very useful Mont Des Avaloirs behind when winning his bumper in 2017.

It took him a couple of runs to get to grips with hurdling, but he did it nicely at Southwell in May.

Allotted a rating of 122, this point winner would be of particular interest if sent straight over fences by new trainer Paul Nicholls.

Horse: Presenting Percy

Trainer: Pat Kelly

Age: 7

Trained by a genius in Pat Kelly, ridden by a genius in Davy Russell, and the horse himself has a stroke of genius to him.

If he doesn’t turn up on the second Friday in March as strong favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup I would be surprised. His route there will be fascinating to witness.

Horse: Vinndication

Trainer: Kim Bailey

Age: 5

One of several smart novice hurdlers at Thorndale Farm last season who will tackle fences in the autumn.

Unbeaten in four starts, he beat a good horse of Fergal O'Brien's on his hurdles debut and things went from strength to strength.

He beat subsequent two-time scorer Champ at Ascot before he defeated the 145-rated Western Ryder in the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle.

Still a big baby last year but regarded as about the best of those good novices at home, he swerved the big festivals at the back end of the season but can pick up where he left off this term.

Horse: Tornado Flyer

Trainer: Willie Mullins

Age: 5

I've always been a sucker for the Festival Bumper so which of the four Willie Mullins' horses among the first five home do we follow over hurdles this season?

I still think Blackbow has the potential to be good if he learns to chill out, but Tornado Flyer might have a little more speed and class anyway.

He hails from the family of Hurricane Fly and caught my eye on his belated, January debut at Fairyhouse.

He turned around Festival form at Punchestown where the better ground may have been a help. Tornado Flyer should be effective at two miles on any surface initially and could be destined for the top.

Horse: Shades Of Midnight

Trainer: Sandy Thomson

Age: 8

Forest Des Aigles has untapped potential for Lucinda Russell, but I am plumping for Shades Of Midnight to win a decent handicap on easy ground.

He hadn't been with Thomson long when third to Ballyoptic and Vintage Clouds in February's Towton - form which makes a rating of 133 look workable for a trainer not to be underestimated.

Horse: Midnight Maestro

Trainer: Alan King

Age: 6

Market Rasen in May is not the obvious place to find a horse to believe in long term, but I have no hesitation in nominating Midnight Maestro as a good prospect.

The son of Midnight Legend rallied well to win an interesting handicap hurdle over two and a half miles, giving the impression that longer distances will prove no problem.

Midnight Maestro will continue to improve for trainer Alan King and owner J P McManus, especially if he gets the chance to turn his attentions to chasing.