Winless Ones To Watch part two: "He’s one to monitor in handicaps"

Trainer: Dan Horsford.

Ideal conditions: Novice hurdles, starting over two miles.

Trainer Dan Horsford has enjoyed a great summer on the flat, and he looks to have a nice prospect for hurdling in the form of The Lightmaker. 

He made his debut at Chepstow in what would turn out to be a very strong race. Always in a prominent position, he travelled up well, showing plenty of speed but just unable to reel in the front-running Princess Day. The winner would win a strong mares bumper at Newbury next time out, the third (Presley) featured in this column last week and looks a promising type while Keltype in fourth was an emphatic winner next time out. 

It would be nearly three months before we’d see The Lightmaker again, this time running at Wincanton. Well-backed after his debut effort was well advertised, it developed into a messy race; prominent on the inside, the field was well grouped when the pace lifted turning for home. The Lightmaker found his initial effort blocked by the front running Le Cold Grey, before that rival would hinder another effort which saw The Lightmaker squeezed out by a pair of greys. That ruined any chance of victory, but it was another promising effort even if the form isn’t of the same substance as his debut. 

By Highland Reel and out of a 2yo flat winner, The Lightmaker has shown plenty of speed and a good attitude thus far and could make an immediate impact over hurdles. 

Trainer: Dan Skelton.

Conditions: Novice hurdles.

It’s not always easy to find horses that didn’t win in the previous season but that have a solid level of form. 

Sometimes, it is easy. Kaiser Ball is a prime example of that. 

He won a traditionally strong bumper at Fairyhouse in February 2025 on his debut for Willie Mullins, picking up impressively under Tom Costello to pull seven-and-a-half lengths of Eachtotheirown (member of this list last year, and now a Grade 1 winner). He was talked about as a Champion Bumper contender after that, but we wouldn’t see him for the rest of the season and, as it transpired, that was also his only start for Willie Mullins. 

His only start since came at Limerick in a maiden hurdle over the Christmas period. Now back with Tony Costello, he travelled powerfully before taking up the lead at three out. As the field turned in, he was slightly outpaced by a trio of rivals before staying on to regain third close to home. To say that the form has worked out well would be an understatement. The other three to occupy the front four positions were: King Rasko Grey (first, dual Grade 1 winner rated 150), Shuttle Diplomacy (second, only five lengths behind King Rasko Grey in the Turners and rated 142) and I Started A Joke (fourth, Grade 1 placed, rated 136). 

Subsequently sold for £360,000 in May 2026 to Tom Malone, it’s been revealed that he is in training with Dan Skelton, part owned by Harry Redknapp as well as three others. Already a six-year-old, Dan suggested that he’s one that could be up in grade and up in trip sooner rather than later. Given the level of form he already has to his name, he should be well up to graded level, particularly early in the season. 

Trainer: Neil Mullholland.

Conditions: Handicaps over three miles.

A staying on and narrow second when falling at the last in his sole point-to-point start behind subsequent Grade 2 winner, Koktail Brut, we’re yet to see the best of Hillwalk under rules although this could be his season. 

His rules debut two seasons ag was highly encouraging: finishing second to Sinnatra in a Chepstow bumper, before running below that standard next at Fontwell two months later. Neil Mulholland reported in a stable tour that it took him a while to get over that, so it’s unsurprising that it ended up being his last start of the season. 

Sent hurdling last campaign, there was minor promise in a trio of starts in novice company. Only last of three finishers at Plumpton on hurdling debut, he shaped as if in need of the run that day over an intermediate trip before clearly finding the two-mile trip too sharp on his next start ay Chepstow. His final run in novice company at Kempton was below that level, although Dylan Johnston reported that he was too free. 

He then made his handicap debut from a lowly mark of 95 at Chepstow over an intermediate trip. Very well backed, he needed pushing along far earlier than most; to his credit, he kept responding to pressure, eventually finishing a distant second to a thriving course specialist, Inion Tiogair. 

Hillwalk was declared twice in three-mile handicaps in May, but was withdrawn due to the ground on both occasions. He looks to be an out-and-put stayer who should find plenty of suitable opportunities once he races over three-miles. 

Trainer: Lucy Wadham.

Conditions: Handicap hurdles over intermediate trips on good ground.

Lucy Wadham has enjoyed plenty of success with recruits off the flat in recent seasons: the likes of Pretending, Zain Nights, Miss Cynthia and Arqoob all spring to find. In Contacto, she may well have found another with whom she can excel with. 

Sold for 52,000 guineas out of Andrew Balding’s yard last Autumn, Contacto proved a reliable handicapper from marks in the mid-80s, currently holding a rating of 86 after a series of respectable efforts in decent races. His last effort saw him finish 2nd to Gnomon, giving him six pounds and who is now rated 123 over hurdles. His two wins were over a mile-and-a-half, he has plenty of form from a mile-and-three-quarters to two-miles, too. 

He made his hurdling debut at Newbury in December over an extended two-miles, finishing fourth behind Kadastral. It was a fair effort, especially when you consider his hurdling was very novicey; eleventh of fourteenth on the jump index, losing over six lengths to the field according to the RaceIQ data. 

He only made one further start last season, which came at Fontwell on soft ground over an intermediate trip. His jumping was better (albeit a touch big, leaving plenty of room for improvement) and he appreciated the step up in trip, finishing a three-and-a-half length third. The form looks solid: Legendary Luke (winner) was conceding a penalty but went on to finish fourth in a Grade 2, while the second and fourth are now rated 117 and 119 respectively. 

With that in mind, an opening mark of 110 for Contacto looks workable. He’s one to monitor in handicaps, particularly on better ground over intermediate trips, 

Trainer: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero.

Conditions: Handicap Hurdles over intermediate trips.

We only saw Timmys Jey Away three times last season, with all three starts coming before the turn of the year, and all three starts were at two-miles within a thirty-two day period. He showed glimpses of promise, but he is expected to improve significantly this term. 

In various stable tours at the start of last season, the Greenall-Guerriero team were keen to stress that he was a horse for the future. Described as “weak”, it was clear that they liked him but he would not be over faced. 

Sporting a tongue-tie after wind surgery on his rules debut at Doncaster, he looked quite raw but did shape well to a point before tiring on the run to the last. On his next start which came at Uttoxeter, he ran to a similar level but was never seriously in contention; always behind the leading group, he stayed on into an eye-catching fourth, not given a hard time. 

His final start of the season came at Haydock and it was a similar tale to his Uttoxeter run – always off the pace, but staying on strongly and in this instance, he recorded the highest finishing speed percentage despite finishing an eleven-length fourth. 

He’ll begin the season rated just 108; which can only be considered fair based on what he’s achieved but there should be a significant amount of improvement to come. A point-to-point winner on good ground, beating a subsequent hurdles winner now trained by Gordon Elliott, I expect him to improve when he steps up in trip on better ground.