Winless Ones To Watch: Five Jumps horses it could pay to follow

Trainer: Gary Moore.

Ideal races: Handicap Hurdles over two miles.

Gary Moore introduced a number of promising horses last season in the colours of Olly Harris, including: Bo Zenith, Inneston & Perseus Way.

The former is one I’m particularly keen on, and I can envisage him winning a big handicap this season, but Moore and Harris have another young horse in the shape of Diyaken who we only saw once last term, but there are reasons to expect a big season for the lightly-raced five-year-old.

An emphatic nine-length winner of his hurdles debut at Compiegne, where the runner-up filled the same spot next time out and the third won before placing in a Listed race, he was purchased privately and arrived at Gary Moore’s in July.

While I’m sure they were happy to acquire a talented horse, his Compiegne success meant that he was only eligible for novice hurdles until the end of November, and his late arrival to the yard meant it was going to be tight to run him before his novice status expired.

His only start in the UK thus far came in an Introductory Hurdle at Ascot in mid-November. Given a patient ride, he found himself last of a bunched field jumping the third from home before making good progress as they headed into the straight. Briefly left in the lead after the fall of Master Chewy, he couldn’t repel Persian Time who swept by to win by two-lengths. The form looks solid; the winner is now rated 129 (and was getting five pounds from Diyaken) while the third, Kandoo Kid, is now rated 125.

While he lacks experience, he looks to have a lot of potential and has seemingly been allocated a workable mark of 125. It would be no surprise if he were to progress far beyond that.

Gary Moore says: “Diyaken suffered bone bruising after his first run but seems fine now. He looks fantastic and I am very, very happy with him.”

Trainer: Sue Gardner.

Ideal races: Novice/Handicap Hurdles on soft/heavy ground over two-and-a-half miles plus.

Sue Gardner wouldn’t be known for her performance in bumpers; since 2003, she has operated a 3 per cent strike-rate and since 2016, her 86 runners have produced just the one winner.

The aforementioned winner was Astronomic View, who won on heavy ground on New Year’s Day 2022, beating the useful Knowsley Road. He followed that up with a respectable effort under a penalty before a fair eighth-place finish in the Grade Two Aintree bumper. For context, the previous bumper winner that Sue Gardner had was Coeur Blimey, who ran in the Grade One bumpers at Cheltenham and Punchestown before reaching a mark of 134.

Last season, we only saw Astronomic View twice; and while he’s yet to reach Coeur Blimey’s level over hurdles, I suspect we haven’t seen the best of him just yet.

His hurdling debut came at Ffos Las, where he finished third behind a subsequent winner and L’Astroboy, who finished second in the Tolworth next time out. The front two began to pull clear, but Astronomic View kept finding and finished off his race strongly.

We wouldn’t see him again for the better part of six-months after that, alluding to him having a setback of some kind. This next, and most recent run, came on good ground at Newton Abbot in a slowly run race. He found himself outpaced and made a couple of errors late on, but I think this run can be easily excused.

He hasn’t been given a rating yet, so will need run once more in novice company. While he could pick up a novice hurdle, I suspect he will be campaigned with a view to handicaps down the line. At his best on soft ground, his dam was a prolific pointer and is from the family of Gold Cup winner, Cool Ground. With that in mind, he should benefit from stepping up in trip.

Trainer: Nicky Martin.

Ideal races: Handicap Hurdles over two-and-a-half miles and further.

Nicky Martin wouldn’t have too many runners in bumpers – 30 since 2017, to be precise – but she does have a reasonable 13 per cent strike-rate. The winners include Colonel Custard and Bear Ghylls, two of the stables leading lights in recent years.

Their most recent bumper winner was Leading Choice, who won his bumper in October 2021 before finishing fifth in a listed race at Cheltenham, behind the likes of Timeforatune and Aucunrisque (watch above).

Last season, he made his hurdling debut at Chepstow in what is traditionally a strong race. Paul Nicholls won it, as he often does, with Makin’yourmind up who is now rated 133, with another 'winless one to watch', Hoe Joly Smoke, back in second. Leading Choice finished a respectable third, staying on strongly having put in a couple of slow jumps at a crucial stage. The fourth is now rated 124 while the fifth is now rated 116.

His second and final start of the season came at Uttoxeter, where he finished second to 126-rated Supreme Gift. Having looked outpaced at times, he kept on well under pressure, making Supreme Gift work hard for his win. The third, Saladam, has been a consistent type and is now rated 115.

While his breeding wouldn’t scream “stayer”, two-and-a-half miles has looked about right so far, and he could potentially get further in time. Her dam won on good ground while Leading Light’s progeny seem to prefer a sounder surface, so that could be important to him. He should have ample opportunities in handicaps.

Trainer: E J O’Grady.

Ideal races: Novice Hurdles over two-miles and further.

Irish Panther went into plenty of Racing TV Trackers when he made his debut over the festive period; and while he has yet to reward those that have supported him, he still rates as an exciting prospect for novice hurdles.

His aforementioned debut came in a two-and-a-half-mile bumper at Punchestown, which has been won by the likes of Appreciate It and Carefully Selected in recent years. This renewal went the way of Fact To File, who would go on to finish second to A Dream To Share at the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham; but many thought Irish Panther was the horse to take out of the race. Travelling keenly, he was still going best as they approached the final furlong, trading at 1.04 in-running before the strong staying Fact To File went past late on. They pulled several lengths clear of Will Do, who has since won a bumper and finished close up to the likes of Western Diego and Tullyhill.

Given the promise of that run, he was unsurprisingly sent off the 11/8 favourite for his next start, where he bumped into Ballyburn & Quantum Storm. Held up on this occasion, he again travelled stylishly to mount a challenge but could never get to the front, although this looked a good race. He would reverse the form with Quantum Storm at Punchestown when finishing second to Walk Away Harry, trading at 1.03 only to be run down in the final 100 yards.

While he’s been frustrating to follow so far, and some will feel he’s just a “bridle merchant”, I think it’s too soon to write him off. On his final start, he hit the front a long way from home and successfully fended off the challenge of Quantum Storm before the closers swarmed, and he appeared to be outstayed by ante-post favourite for the Albert Bartlett in Fact To File. I still believe he can be a graded performer over hurdles, and it would be great to see Eddie O’Grady with a top-class horse again.

Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill.

Ideal races: Handicap Hurdles/Chases over staying trips.

It’s great to see the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings still gracing the track – and even better to see exciting young prospects racing in the green & white quarters; the likes of Favour and Fortune & Bowenspark spring to mind.

Big Ambitions hasn’t displayed the promise of those just mentioned, but he’s shown enough to suggest he’s more than up to winning races.

Bought for €90,000 as a three-year-old, he made his racecourse debut in a Chepstow bumper in December. After some early signs of greenness, he made an eye-catching mid-race move on the outside, moving from the rear to almost disputing the lead. He couldn’t sustain that effort, eventually finishing a well-beaten eight, but it wasn’t without hope. He would improve for that run, finishing a respectable fourth in his second and final bumper start.

Switched to hurdles thereafter, he ran well to finish second to subsequent EBF Final fourth, Etalon over two-miles; a trip that was never going to suit. Upped in trip next time out, he finished a distant third to a couple of useful types, but it was still a fair effort under the circumstances.

Given a two-month break, he made his final appearance of the season in a two-and-a-half-mile handicap on quick ground. It was a decent race for the grade and he wasn’t unfancied; eventually finishing third, he may well have finished closer but saw a gap close on him on the approach to the second last hurdle. He stayed on strongly, leaving the impression that he can win races from his mark of 106.

As a raw, four/five-year-old last season, I suspect there is plenty more to come. His pedigree is all stamina; by Shantou, his dam won over three-miles and he is a full brother to the very smart Death Duty, while his half-brothers include an additional two three-mile winners. Big Ambitions looks sure to improve once he steps up in trip, and while in time he will make a chaser, I imagine he will stay over hurdles for now.