Mark Boylan
As the Northern Hemisphere enters into the winter months, the vast majority of British and Irish equine attention turns to the National Hunt season 2015/2016, where an exciting term looms large for jump-racing fans. Although most of the leading lights of the jumping scene are returning to do battle this season, twenty-time champion jockey AP McCoy is certainly the most notable absentee; a sporting legend who will undoubtedly be missed by the racing public throughout the year. With all roads leading to the Cheltenham Festival in March, I have nominated some horses to follow, who could perhaps prove profitable to follow over the coming months on the road to the season showcase, writes Mark Boylan
Alpha Des Obeaux (FR)
5 yo Saddler Maker – Omega Des Obeaux (Saint Preuil)
Trainer – M F Morris
Owner – Gigginstown House Stud
Owners Gigginstown House Stud have enjoyed tremendous success in the long-distance chasing division over the past number of years and might have another smart prospect on their hands in the shape of Alpha Des Obeaux. After bursting onto the scene with a facile twenty length victory in a point-to-point at Tinahely, this gelding by Saddler Maker embarked on a novice hurdling campaign notching an impressive success at Punchestown in November last year. In his next two starts, Mouse Morris’ charge bumped the very capable Black Hercules at Cork and subsequent Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Douvan at Punchestown, showing credit in defeat on both occasions. He reappeared at the Aintree Festival over three miles after a three month lay-off when falling at the final hurdle whilst mounting a challenge, a length down in second place. Over half a mile shorter, the five year-old ran admirably against the talented Nichols Canyon at the Punchestown Festival, but once again displayed a likeable attitude in defeat and an aptitude for longer distances. Alpha Des Obeaux looks every inch a chaser and I can see him landing a couple of novice chases on home soil this year, before heading to the Cheltenham Festival for the RSA Chase or National Hunt Chase in March. Although coming up just short on a few occasions over hurdles last season, there is every reason to think that the switch to fences will bring about further improvement; leaving Gigginstown owner and Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary with an exciting prospect for this coming season.
Douvan (FR)
5 yo Walk In The Park – Star Face (Saint Des Saints)
Trainer – W P Mullins
Owner – Mrs S Ricci
Arguably one of the most intriguing horses in training this season, Douvan was devastatingly impressive on all four starts of his previous campaign, culminating in two outstanding performances in grade one company at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals respectively. Although trainer Willie Mullins has a phenomenal number of talented horses in his care in County Carlow, the Colonel of Closutton has made no secret of how highly he regards this five year-old and I have no doubt that Douvan has the potential to be a champion chaser of the future. This season he embarks on a novice chasing campaign with the Arkle Novices’ Chase expected to be the long-term target at the greatest show on turf next March. As a strong-travelling, slick-jumping, powerful individual, Douvan could be one of the most exhilarating stars to illuminate this year’s racing calendar.
Imada (IRE)
5 yo Arcadio – Anck Su Namun (Supreme Leader)
Trainer – Nicky Richards
Owner – Kenny Haughey & Laura Sabiani
The 2015/16 season promises to be a very exciting one for the Nicky Richards team with a wealth of young talent looking to build on last season’s exceptional set of results for the Greystoke handler. Amongst a host of impressive looking horses, Imada marked himself out as a potentially special talent with an emphatic debut bumper win last season. Although suffering defeat at the hands of the talented Big River at Kelso in March, the Arcadio gelding bounced back handsomely on his hurdles debut at Ayr, with a couple of devastating leaps at his final hurdles settling the argument in facile fashion. Imada is perhaps the most promising novice hurdler for the North of England this term and it would be no surprise to see his season culminate in a crack at the Aintree Festival, similar to stable-mate Glingerburn earlier this year. Although this five year-old will surely improve further with time, Imada is certainly a horse to keep on the right side of this season.
One For Arthur (IRE)
6 yo Milan – Nonnetia (Trempolino)
Trainer – Lucinda Russell
Owner – Two Golf Widows
Scottish racing could potentially have a very smart chaser on its hands with the strikingly beautiful One For Arthur; who produced a superb round of jumping at Kelso when winning on his chasing debut last month. A consistent sort, who has only finished out of the first three on one occasion for the Scottish champion trainer. I can see this Milan gelding advance on his hurdles form and win his share of races in Scotland and the North of England this season. A disappointing run at the Aintree Festival last term can be easily excused with only six of the sixteen runners completing the contest under circumstances which perhaps didn’t give him the opportunity to exhibit his abundant stamina. After showing a willing attitude in taking the scalp of the well-regarded Warriors Tale at Ayr last March, Deborah Thomson’s charge immediately went in my notebook as a horse to follow for chasing, and this coming season over fences promises to be an exciting one for the Perth-based team. Perhaps Lucinda Russell has found another staying star in One For Arthur, who could follow in the hoof-prints of Silver By Nature and Lie Forrit over the coming years.
Peace And Co (FR)
4 yo Falco – Peace Lina (Linamix)
Trainer – Nicky Henderson
Owner – Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
Although the mighty Faugheen is already a warm order with bookmakers in the ante-post markets for the 2016 Champion Hurdle, don’t be surprised if the new kid on the block, Peace And Co can deliver a blow to the current title holder in the two mile division. After bursting onto the scene with an explosive nineteen length victory at Doncaster, Nicky Henderson sent the French-bred to Cheltenham in January. He showed signs of greenness throughout, but completed the task at hand. Peace And Co lined up in grade one company at the Festival when showing mighty toughness and class to outpoint his stable-mate Top Notch by a neck, always appearing to have the upper-hand over his rival. Now unbeaten in four starts after proving too hot to handle in the juvenile division, I expect last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner to make a big impression against older rivals as well as in four-year-old hurdles this season. Whatever the outcome at the Festival in March, Peace And Co is a horse who should definitely win races this season and provide plenty of excitement to backers along the way.
See The World
5 yo Kayf Tara – My World (Lost World)
Trainer – Emma Lavelle
Owner – Nicky Turner, Penny Tozer, Lotte Schicht
Racing fans across the board will find enjoyment in reviewing the debut race of See The World’s career at Wincanton in January this year:-
After travelling strongly throughout the contest on heavy ground, the five year-old emerged as the clear leader, leaving his rivals toiling in his wake. Entering the home straight with a good lead, See The World decided he had done enough, veered violently off track and seemed to pull himself up. Having forfeited his five length lead, See The World found himself almost twenty lengths adrift of the leader, but, suddenly renewing his interest in proceedings, See The World started racing again, flying home to regain the lead and land the spoils. Undoubtedly an individual with a strong ‘personality’, See The World surely must have an enormous amount of ability to be able to win on debut as he did, in the most bizarre circumstances imaginable. Subsequently entered in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper, trainer Emma Lavelle decided to hold fire on a trip to the Cotswolds, electing to give him more time to mature and return this winter. A horse with breeding to suggest a liking for testing conditions – borne out by his win on heavy going – See The World will certainly be a horse to follow when the mud is flying this season, whether that be over hurdles or still in bumper company.
Tycoon Prince (IRE)
5 yo Trans Island – Downtown Train (Glacial Storm)
Trainer – Gordon Elliott
Owner – Gigginstown House Stud
Following defeat on debut to subsequent Champion Bumper winner, Moon Racer, Tycoon Prince emerged an above-average talent when winning a hat-trick of bumpers in taking fashion last season. Although Willie Mullins always appears to have a stranglehold on the Irish novice hurdling division, it would be no surprise to see this Gordon Elliott-trained gelding make a big splash amongst this year’s novices and announce himself as a strong Cheltenham contender as the season continues. I was very taken by this five year-old’s performance at Punchestown at the end of October when he brushed aside his rivals in commanding style and showed plenty of speed for such a physically big horse. Jockey Bryan Cooper made no secret how impressed he was by the horse’s display on his hurdling bow, leaving the impression that this could be an equine talent destined for great success in the future. Sure to improve as the season progresses, Tycoon Prince could be a powerful force over distances from two miles, to two miles and five furlongs; making him an intriguing ante-post bet for the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle in March at general odds of 16/1. Tycoon Prince is certainly a name to remember for the forthcoming National Hunt campaign and perhaps for further down the line as well.
Vautour (FR)
6 yo Robin Des Champs – Gazelle De Mai (Dom Pasquini)
Trainer – W P Mullins
Owner – Mrs S Ricci
There’s no doubt that at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, the name on the lips of every racegoer was ‘Vautour’ following an astonishing performance in the JLT Novices’ Chase, destroying the field with an exceptional round of jumping and blistering speed:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o1NZqRWYHo
Wait For Me (FR)
5 yo Saint Des Saints – Aulune River (River Mist)
Trainer – Philip Hobbs
Owner – Andrew L Cohen
After trainer Philip Fenton lost his licence in November 2014, whispers around the Cheltenham preview-night circuit suggested that of all the horses Fenton would have to say goodbye to, Wait For Me was the one he would miss most. After switching to trainer Philip Hobbs in Somerset, it wasn’t long before this Saint Des Saints gelding showed why his former trainer ranked him so highly, producing a very smooth performance in a soft-ground Ascot bumper. The five year-old was then given the opportunity to test his credentials against the best of his generation in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper when running with huge credit on a far quicker surface, fading to third in the shadows of the post. Wait For Me lost nothing in defeat on that occasion behind the excellent Moon Racer and his adaptability to faster going should stand him in good stead. Philip Hobbs has mentioned that this gelding could be a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle horse and I am very confident that he has enough speed for this contest in March. By the same sire of Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam, he should be able to stretch out his stamina to a two miles and five furlong trip this season, but I would prefer to see him line up in the opening contest of the festival over the shorter distance where the full extent of his speed would be exhibited. Whatever the case in March, Wait For Me is an interesting horse to follow this term and certainly has the potential to win graded novice hurdles along the road to Cheltenham 2016.
William Henry (IRE)
5 yo King’s Theatre – Cincuenta (Bob Back)
Trainer – Nicky Henderson
Owner – Walters Plant Hire
In the novice hurdling ranks, William Henry could easily be one of the home team’s leading hopes at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. After showing signs of extreme inexperience on his Wincanton debut, this King’s Theatre gelding couldn’t have been more impressive when annihilating a Kempton bumper field by seventeen lengths in March of 2015. The master of Seven Barrows then brought this five year-old to the concluding bumper on Scottish Grand National day at Ayr, a race which Henderson has taken with the exceptional Sprinter Sacre as well as the talented River Maigue and Fourth Estate over the last five years. William Henry duly obliged, obliterating some smart prospects in the process and after speaking with the trainer post-race, he assured me that this season over hurdles would see him progress into a potentially top-class novice. With the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle or the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (for which he is as wide as 25/1) likely options for him at the Festival, an injury-free season will surely see this Dai Walters owned gelding pick up a couple of wins on the road to Prestbury Park. It’s worth noting that he is also a full brother to Willie Mullins’ Ebor winning mare, Sesenta who recorded three hurdles wins in her career. As a horse who oozes class with plenty of gears, the 2015/16 season could certainly be a big year for William Henry.
