National Hunt Season Ten To Follow: @RoadCheltenham Gives His Horses To Follow in 2024/25

It’s Chepstow week and that means only one thing: the jumps are back. It has been a long, old summer for National Hunt fans but the new season is upon us and I for one cannot wait to get back in the swing of things.

I’m teaming up with HorseRacing.net again to cover the 2024/25 season and what better way to kick things off than with my horses to follow? I could easily put together a list of 10 Willie Mullins horses but I’m going down a different route here...

Instead, I’ve gone with 10 horses from 10 different yards. Five from Ireland and five from Great Britain. Hopefully following these horses will bear fruit, and – with a bit of luck – we may even get a Cheltenham Festival winner or two!

BACKTONORMAL

Trainer: Gavin Cromwell

Owner: Darren Cahill, Mrs Mary Furlong & Michael P Byrne

Gavin Cromwell gave this horse as his one to follow for the season and he will go novice chasing this winter. By Milan and out of a Mountain High mare, he’s bred to jump a fence and he already has some neat form in the book.

He finished second to the well regarded Wingmen in his point-to-point and his form ties in with the likes of Blizzard of Oz and Answer To Kayf – the former a winner at the Dublin Racing Festival and the latter was fourth in a Cheltenham Festival handicap.

I’m expecting to see Backtonormal entered in a Beginners Chase in the coming weeks and he could have a nice pot in him. His trainer is renowned for being one of the best when it comes to targeting a particular race.

BALLYGUNNER CASTLE

Trainer: Willie Mullins

Owner: J R Brennan & David Flynn

I think this fella could develop into a proper, proper horse. He’s a real staying type and he overachieved in bumpers, especially in his success at Tipperary in May – a race previously won by A Dream To Share and Readin Tommy Wrong.

He was giving 21lbs away to Aruntothequeen, a well-bred mare of Jessica Harrington’s, that day and that form has been franked with the runner up winning the Mares Listed bumper at Gowran Park at the start of October.

Patrick Mullins was clearly impressed at Tipperary and all signs point towards a career as a staying chaser. Having said that, I’m hoping he can make into a Graded novice hurdler over a trip and the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle could be a spring target.

BUTCH

Trainer: Olly Murphy

Owner: McNeill Family & Ralston Family

Regarded by Sean Bowen as the yard’s best novice chase prospect this term, Butch has always had a bit of a reputation and he has the ability to take his form to a whole new level over fences – all being well.

The vibes are that Butch goes best fresh and I’d expect Olly Murphy to get him out early on in the season, with a view to gaining as much experience as possible while still giving the horse ample time to recover between races.

He has already schooled over fences and could run in a nice novice chase once he is fit enough to get going. He is versatile in terms of ground conditions and I am very hopeful that he can blossom into a Graded novice chaser.

HALRISK DES OBEAUX

Trainer: Ben Pauling

Owner: Lady Dulverton

A left-field selection, Halrisk Des Obeaux was regarded as one of the most naturally talented animals at Matthew Flynn O’Connor’s yard and he was snapped up privately before racing in a point-to-point.

He’ll run in the colours of Lady Dulverton and the vibes are positive, with Ben Pauling suggesting that he has the temperament and mental capacity to cope with the lack of experience. On his homework alone, it seems he is a very exciting prospect and the yard are looking forward to seeing what he can do.

His trainer has stated that he’ll run in a bumper before switching to novice hurdles fairly quickly afterwards – assuming of course that things go well on his track debut. Get him in your tracker, he could be a smart one.

JURANCON

Trainer: David Pipe

Owner: Brocade Racing

I was at Chepstow in December when Jurancon won on bumper debut and it was clear there was plenty of confidence behind him ahead of the race. Punters were never really concerned as he bolted up, recording a RPR of 115 in the process.

He finished second to a nice horse of Ben Pauling’s at Newbury, giving his rival 7lbs but finishing less than three lengths adrift before getting back to winning ways at Hereford in March – much to my surprise as that track doesn’t really suit those staying types.

I’m not saying he is a slow horse but I’d expect him to be stepped up to 2m4f now going over hurdles and the further he goes, the better he’ll be. Something like the Grade 2 River Don Novices Hurdle at Doncaster could be a nice target for him.

KILGAME

Trainer: Henry de Bromhead

Owner: Robcour

A €300,000 purchase at Arqana’s Online Sale in March 2024, Kilgame finished second on hurdles debut at Auteuil – finishing seven lengths adrift of the talented King Conti. He could be a very nice novice hurdler for the Henry de Bromhead yard this season.

The horses in fourth, fifth and sixth have all won since with Kolokico winning a Grade 1 over fences in May. The form has stacked up reasonably well despite King Conti’s shortcomings at Graded level at the back end of the campaign.

By one of the most sought-after sires of the moment in Jeu St Eloi, Kilgame comes from the same source as Teahupoo – with Gabriel Leenders consigning their latest recruit. If Kilgame ends up anywhere near that level, connections will be delighted. 

MINELLA HOLLOW

Trainer: John J Nallen

Owner: John J Nallen

Don’t sleep on Minella Hollow. He’s gone under the radar slightly in the past couple of months – largely because his two victories came at Ballinrobe and Roscommon but also because of his connections, though he mightn’t be with John Nallen for much longer.

He gave Churchfield Sunset, a half-sister to the all-conquering Ballyburn, 9lbs and a beating at Roscommon in June and it certainly passed the eye test. He recorded a RPR of 119 that day, five pounds higher than A Dream To Share recorded two years earlier.

A half-brother to three winners, including the smart Tag Man, Minella Hollow could be anything and I’m expecting him to operate at a high level this term. He’s still a big baby, showing greenness in both starts to date but he is clearly very talented.

MY NOBLE LORD

Trainer: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero

Owner: JP McManus

A massive improver since being gelded, My Noble Lord won four of five races on the flat this year but he’s now going juvenile hurdling in the green and gold of JP McManus – and he is one to very much keep an eye on.

The plan appears to be to get him out nice and early at Chepstow this weekend and I’m expecting him to be campaigned with a certain juvenile handicap in March in mind. It’ll be interesting to see how he gets on in his first couple of races...

He went from being a 56-rated flat horse to 83 in the space of five races and he has been seen to best effect on quicker ground. If they can get a couple of runs into him before it gets too soft, the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle will become a realistic target. 

PRIMOZ

Trainer: Lucinda Russell

Owner: Aim Equestrian Ltd & Russell

Primoz could have bags in hand and the manner of his Ayr demolition job in April would agree with that view. I’d expect Lucinda Russell to campaign him shrewdly and we may not see the absolute best of him until he steps up to three miles.

He’ll go novice chasing this campaign and he is a big brute of a horse. He will have more respect for fences than he did hurdles and I’ll be following him throughout the season, especially when he gets nicer ground in the spring.

Off a mark of 123, I’d be amazed if he can’t win a novices handicap chase before going on to tackle Graded company down the line. He looks very useful indeed and I’d say he should be at least a stone better over fences – all being well.

SON OF ANARCHY

Trainer: Gordon Elliott

Owner: JP McManus

Another for JP McManus and another potential Cheltenham Festival horse. Without a shadow of a doubt, Son Of Anarchy is one of the most exciting prospects heading into the new season and his RPR of 95 recorded at Lingstown in November 2023 is one of the leading figures.

His time was five seconds faster than the second division and I always like it when the clock supports the eye test. The way he galloped away from his rivals approaching the final obstacle and then continued to put distance between himself and the field was very impressive indeed.

He looks like a proper staying type and the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle could be right up his street. The second, now also with Gordon Elliott, won on bumper debut at Ayr on Scottish Grand National day while the third in his point-to-point has also won since.