Winless Ones To Watch part one: 2025-26 Jumps season horses to follow

Rain is falling across the country, the Ryder Cup teams have been finalised and West Ham have started ruining my weekends again. That can only mean one thing – it’s time to start talking about the Jumps! 

Last year’s list was a mixed bag. Many only ran once (or not at all), but there were notable successes. Vision De Maine, rated just 89 when I flagged him in this column, relished chasing and was very well backed to win his first two starts of the season. The likes of Califet En Vol, Tutti Quanti and Peacenik all proved to be good novice hurdlers, while many others got off the mark for the first time last season. 

I hope to improve on last season but, as I do every year, I must stress that this is not a list of horses to back blindly. The purpose of this list remains the same: to highlight horses that have the potential to improve beyond what they’ve shown thus far and, as a result of not winning, they will hopefully go under the radar. 

Thank you to the trainers and owners who took the time to talk to me about their horses, and thank you to all of you who continue to support this column. 

I hope this column will act as a catalyst for those of you who, like me, are eagerly awaiting the 2025-26 Jumps season to notch up a gear! 

Trainer: Pam Sly.

Ideal conditions: Handicaps over two miles, and further in time.

The seven-year old only made his rules debut in January 2025, despite being in training since May 2022, so he clearly hasn’t been straightforward. However, on the evidence of his three starts thus far, he could well make up for lost time this season. 

His debut came at Doncaster in a fairly competitive Novice Hurdle, with the finish fought out by Meetmebythesea (133, 3rd in the EBF Final) and Mythical Moon (125, 2nd at Sandown on Bet365 Jumps Finale day). Back in fourth, only beaten six and a half lengths, was Sleeping Late who ran far better than his odds of 50/1 suggested he would. Despite some less than fluent jumping, including a notable error three out, he travelled notably well into the race before his lack of experience and a slow jump at the last ultimately took a toll. 

Next seen at Huntingdon on good ground, he was never able to get competitive from off the pace, but kept on into a respectable third, shaping as if capable of better. His final start came at Wetherby in March, again over two miles where he was ridden more positively. Having got the better of long-time pace challenger Solent Gateway (now rated 114), Sleeping Late was no match for Sir Galahad’s late challenge. The form of that looked suspect at the time, but Solent Gateway has franked it since, and Sir Galahad is now rated 126. With that in mind, it was a near impossible task for Sleeping Late to give the winner 10lb, but it was another encouraging run and, having initially hung left under pressure, it was again an effort that implied he has more to offer. 

Only rated 112, he’ll begin life in handicaps on a very fair mark. By Gentlewave and a half-brother to two winners over intermediate trips, including Pam Sly’s William Cody, he should have little issue getting further and it would be no surprise to see him improve when he steps up to two-and-a-half miles, for all that he might need more experience before they attempt that. 

Trainer: Warren Greatrex.

Ideal conditions: Handicap Hurdles/Chases over three miles.

From the family of the stable’s star staying chaser, Bob Mahler, who himself didn’t win until his tenth start under rules, Malinificent looks like he should also improve with time and stepping up in trip. 

Second to the highly-touted Minella Premier in his second point-to-point, he was subsequently purchased for £52,000, and his first three starts over hurdles all came over two miles. His debut at Leicester was a satisfactory effort where, having raced enthusiastically, he just faded late on in typically tiring heavy ground at the East Midlands track. He then went to Ffos Las for what I believe was a deep Maiden Hurdle where he didn’t have the turn of foot of the front three there, but he plugged on into fourth. 

Warren Greatrex then. in a mid-season stable tour, outlined that his main target was the EBF Final, which he duly qualified for when finishing second at Bangor. The third, Big Ginge, had placed behind multiple smart types and wasn’t disgraced in the Imperial Cup, while the winner, Laganhill, is now rated 127 following a good run at Cheltenham. 

His final run of the season was in aforementioned EBF Final where, unsurprisingly, the step up in trip did bring about improvement. Always prominent, he was given an aggressive ride, only giving way on the run to the final hurdle, eventually finishing fourth. As is often the case with that race, it was very strongly run and the winner, Laurens Bay, flew home to win from way off the pace. 

Only raised 2lb for that run to a mark of 116, he’s only a five-year-old and looks certain to improve, both with time and for stepping up in trip. Not only is his dam a half-sister to Bob Mahler, there are multiple other three-mile winners in his pedigree, while his sire, Malinas, is known for producing stayers. 

Trainer: Thomas Gibney.

Ideal conditions: Handicaps over intermediate trips (and further).

It was a frustrating 2024-2025 season for Tom Gibney, who would have had high expectations, particularly with the likes of Intense Raffles. With just three winners all season, his lowest total since 2019-20, it may well mean that the yard have some well-handicapped performers for this campaign. 

One horse who has shown plenty of promise thus far is Minella Post, who had solid form to his name for John Nallen before joining the yard. He was a good second in a point-to-point, which has worked out well. The third won his next start and ran in the Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival, the fourth (Custom Taylor) is now rated 128, while the sixth (Block Rockin Beats) won the bumper at Cheltenham’s October meeting for Oliver Signy. On his rules debut in a Punchestown bumper, he finished a respectable third behind Will The Wise (135) and Jacob’s Ladder (138), with Chart Topper (133) back in fifth. 

He was subsequently sold for £90,000 to Tom Gibney and ran respectably on his yard debut in a bumper, again finishing third despite over racing in the early stages. Once again, the form has substance; the winner, Whinney Hill, was third to Kopek Des Bordes on hurdling debut (although he hasn’t built on that), while Strong Link in second is now two from two over hurdles. 

Despite some solid form, he went off 50-1 for his hurdling debut where he stayed on well over an intermediate trip, only beaten six-and-a-half lengths in fifth. The front four are now rated 139, 142, 133 and 129 respectively. His next run was a tad below that level, before finishing a distant fourth over just shy of three-miles on very testing ground; he was shaping well before a bad error at three-out, after which he was quickly beaten. 

With an opening mark of 118, he has form to suggest he can be highly competitive in handicaps. It may be that he prefers better ground, or at the least he wouldn’t want it too deep.  

Trainer: Nicky Henderson.

Ideal conditions: Novice hurdles over 2m-2m4f.

Lulamba was certainly the headline French recruit for the Nicky Henderson yard last season, and he looks to have an immensely bright future. Another to have joined the yard from France is Khrisma, who looks to have plenty of potential in her own right. 

She achieved plenty in AQPS Flat races for Emmanuel Clayeux, winning two Grade 3’s before finishing third in a Grade One on her final start in France. That race has been won by Irish Point and Epatante in the past, and the form of this renewal has worked out quite nicely, too: the winner has since won another Grade One AQPS Flat race and is a dual Grade Three winner over obstacles, while the second was Karoline Banbou who finished fourth in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. 

Her British debut came at Windsor in January and she was notably weak in the betting, going off at 8-1 having been around 13-8 in the morning. Wearing a hood for the first time, she did travel keenly and took Nico into mid division having initially been anchored in last. A scrappy jump at the second last didn’t help her chances without being the key factor in her defeat, but it was a very encouraging effort and she left the impression that there was plenty left to come. The form is solid, too: the winner, Jubilee Alpha, is now rated 137 while the fourth, Siog Geal, won the valuable handicap at Newbury two starts later. 

She only ran once more, coming over 100 days later at the Punchestown festival. This time, the market spoke strongly in her favour, as she went off the well-backed 5-2 favourite having been 7-1 in the morning. Hooded and keen yet again, another error at two out didn’t help her chances and she finished strongly in second, denied by Casheldale Lad who made all to win. The winner has since finished third in the Galway Hurdle, and the pair were 16 lengths clear of Grade Three winner Naturally Nimble in third. 

Officially rated 127, she has a level of form that will make her difficult to beat in most early season Novice Hurdles. There is a Listed race at Newbury in November that Nicky has won with Luccia and Floressa in recent seasons, so that may appeal as an early target and it’ll be interesting to see how her campaign evolves. Once she learns to settle, she should have no problem getting further, which will open even more doors. 

Trainer: Rebecca Curtis.

Ideal conditions: Novice Hurdles over intermediate trips (and further).

It was fantastic to see Rebecca Curtis enjoy such a successful campaign in 2024/25, with Haiti Couleurs leading the way with a superb National Hunt Chase and Irish Grand National double. But it wasn’t just him: the yard as a whole were performing well, with a 20 per cent strike-rate across the season, up from an average of 10 per cent in the previous four campaigns. 

One horse who wasn’t able to add to that win total was Douglas Hyde, for all that he was incredibly consistent in finishing second on all three starts. 

Sold for £85,000 after winning a heavy ground Irish Point-to-Point, he made his rules debut in Bangor bumper for which he was the 13-8 favourite. He looked to find the track too sharp, as he lost his position at the top of the straight before staying on again into a clear second. The winner would finish second under a penalty next time, giving the form some substance. 

Next seen at Ffos Las, he raced quite keenly from the front but having hit 1.27 in running, those early exertions took their toll in the final stages as he gave way to Giantsgrave, who looks a nice prospect for Dan Skelton and the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate. It was a similar story on his final start of the season at Chepstow (completing his tour of Welsh racecourses), as the Skelton-trained Just Golden headed him inside the final furlong. 

He’s a half-brother to Game Socks, who won over three-miles-and-two furlongs, and his dam is a point winner. Given this, and how he shaped in bumpers, he looks sure to improve as he steps up in trip over hurdles. I don’t think he’ll be a top-class novice hurdler, but I can see him having a similar campaign to the likes of Ben Solo and Newton Tornado, who were likeable and consistent types last season (and who I’m keen to follow over fences this season).