Jumps thoughts for season ahead

heard nowtte  lookes opposable on breedingge angle if tacjklingge softte grahndde over ye hurdles or iffe goingge #bumperingge....  lette itte openne uppe a short#shorty on fto #undaroolz#runne me sez #damsire bittuva #unknownne tbf   #mytoo :)

You probably know as much as I do. For what its worth it made my long list of 70 odd pointers. It's come from the same crew who produced The Mourne Rambler, who also debuted at Portrush. He was expected and won in a canter. He strikes me as much more of a stayer than The Mourne Rambler. It's a converted Flat pedigree that dates back to the 1974 Irish Guineas winner, Gaily. Cape Tribulation (by Hernando) is the one jumper to appear in the more recent pedigree. Pauling also picked up another on my list from the same connections, Mourne Maid for 95,000.

A few others from my list:-

Golden Current 315,000 G Elliott
Cleverfox 180,000 W Mullins
Foxy In The Park 140,000 J J O'Neill
Palinca 400,000 H De Bromhead
Wordfromhome 320,000 P Nicholls
Certain Escape 170,000 G Elliott
Mifa D'Airy 435,000 D Skelton
Garden Master 275,000 P Nicholls
The Laundry Jet 205,000 N T Davies
Walkonseas 500,000 D Skelton
Scintillo 155,000 D Jeffreys

And a couple I don't know where they went:-

Max Potential 280,000
Night League 320,000

Just checked around and Max Potential has gone to Pipe and Night League to Henderson (JP).

It's a bit of a joke that top yards who have websites are not even prepared to list the horses in their yards. A throwback to the last century. What are they scared of? You are supposed to be generating interest, and you think that is achieved by being as secretive as possible?

Watching Skelton lately lol he’s hopeless tbh,struggles to stay on,dreadful rider imo…..fortunate to ride the best horses..

That would explain why his strike rate is only above 40 % in the past 2 weeks Quixall, not on top hoses?

Low sun, nap landed 1.01

I’m a flat man, you can all celebrate

He manages to stay on most Cag,but he ain’t no stylist or natural tbh

Two big Cheltenham plots last season.
Supremely West and Madara. Got them both round took the money home.
Very competent jockey.

Agree

Horse racing is running out of time there was a time when there was horses around to get excited about, not happened in few years now.Flat racing has made show of itself with o Brien s and media people involved i suppose they want to see how far they can push it they really are pushing it to the limit now.

Interesting to see what sort of odds would be quoted on Winday doing the Doncaster Cup and Albert Bartlett double if the trainer is really thinking of it ...

I had to look it up. It wouldn't be qualified.

Cheers DD

Saw this elsewhere

BERKSTAR now officially registered to Francis Mangan, in training with Willie Mullins. Entered at Listowel on Wednesday.

Last time out he was runner-up to Lou Prince (£240k to Olly Murphy), with Smithytown (€240k to Ben Pauling) third, who won next time out, and 4th-placed Power On Demand won next time too.

Power On Demand (5th) was the only one from that race that made my list. Berkstar is from a flat family by a sire who has yet to really take off - Upon Tweed is the one who might change that. That isn't to say that Mullins shouldn't be able to win an early season novice with him.

Cleverfox is also by Berkshire.

A few additions to the earlier list:-

Tendoo P Nicholls
Mister Boum W Mullins
Country Prospect J Snowden
Flick Of The Wrist C King (JP)
Personal Space H De Bromhead
Little Patience D Skelton
Newgrove D Skelton
Power On Demand 90,000 O Greenall
Royal Response N Henderson
Lexington Flyer 70,000 P Nicholls

It would nice to keep this thread rolling, but I fear it just be myself and MJK.

Let's see.

Anyone got any ante-post bets they might care to share? This might be an indicator of any interest.

For a number of different reasons, I have decided to concentrate my efforts on NH racing and pay much less attention to the flat. A little bit of it is pocket talk, to be honest, but I'm fed up with track biases, watering, and the standard of flat jockeys is as bad as I can remember. I've always seen myself as a jumps fan first, with a more than keen interest in the flat. I'm getting old, and I think I'm spreading myself too thin. Bring on the jumps.

Jet Of Stars for L.Russell runs tomorrow in his first novice hurdle.

Won a P2P easily in Feb 2025, then bought for £230k.

Only ran once last season when comfortably winning a NH flat race.

The team talk highly of him.

Hughes riding for his owner. Interesting to see if he rides it the way Fox no doubt would have or more positively.

I like that one too brandyontherocks, the fourth home the day he won his point is now rated 124, the weight he gets tomorrow from the other obvious two likely threats could just be enough to see him home.

Getting the weight off the winners it will be disappointing if he doesn't win, but given the stable hasn't made the greatest of starts, I would far sooner watch than back him.

Not one for me to be backing either, DD.

Not one to be playing the lightly raced, could be anything sorts.

All In You is a horse i will be following in the early big handicap hurdles over two miles.
I think his level has been hidden from the handicapper, and hopefully be a decent price in a premier handicap.
Looks to be very well treated off 127.

I backed him in the William Hill Hurdle and after he flopped in that at big prices for the County Hurdle (non runner) and Scottish Champion Hurdle. He was hampered that race, but I would have a doubt about him finishing his races off. I have got a feeling he needs to do plenty of his running on the bridle.

My only two each-way ante-post bets are:-

Champion Hurdle - Mydaddypaddy 33/1
Stayers - Wodhooh 25/1

I was perhaps fortunate with Mydaddypaddy as I hadn't read Skelton talking about the Arkle route. I thought that given his age, and a relatively weak looking division, this looked the right way to go. He has speed, and is a slick jumper. Something like the Fighting Fifth should be a marker as to whether he is good enough.
As for Wodhooh, I don't see what she has to lose in trying a longer trip. If it doesn't work, she can always revert. That small field Newbury race would look to be a good starting point. The Stayers is another shocking division.

It feels like there are several divisions up for grabs.

I haven't done anything ante-post for Cheltenham yet, but it won't be long before I have about 9 or 10 markets open as usual. The only Ante-post play I have running is Kitzbuhel for the King George on Boxing Day. I was deeply impressed by the way he won last year's Kauto Star and have been 'topping' up on him ever since. If he shortens up before the big day, I'll probably hit the pink button. I'm hoping Willie will reroute Gaelic Warrior to Leopardstown. Jango Baie, for whatever reason, just doesn't flick my switch, and there are question marks surrounding most of the other protagonists.
I have quite a few 'Tracker horses' running today, which includes the aforementioned Jet OF Stars, who should win but won't be carrying any of my cash. The fact that they have him out relatively early suggests that they have an early season target in mind for him. Delgany Second Now should win the 4:32, but he is a little bit short in the betting, so the only one I'm chucking a few quid at today is Tamarind Bay, who has been progressing rather nicely during the summer and I think could still be a few pounds ahead of the handicapper. Good luck if punting.

DD know anything about Palinca to be trained by De Bromhead?

Just on the subject of Wodhooh, I wouldn't be too surprised if we saw her in headgear at some stage this season. It seemed to me that last year she raced lazily, or lost a little pace? Not such a bad thing if trying a longer trip.

I mentioned Palinca above. She is now owned by Coolmara Stables, owners of The Big Westerner. Two doubts since I put her on my list. The form of the the race she won is not strong, and having looked like winning 20 lengths she only won by 10 lengths pushed out. Perhaps we might be talking 2-2m4f, rather than further. She travelled well enough to suggest that she could/should be competitive in a bumper. You would hope so for that money.

Long way off but if they all stay fit & get to Cheltenham is there anything
out there that can beat Gaelic Warrior in the Gold Cup?
See he's generally 2/1 with the books.Taking no chances 6 for a race months away!

I don't usually entertain anything at shorter than double figures. It just isn't worth it. All you can say is he is the one to beat, and should he make the gig, it would be a surprise if anything that finished behind him turned the tables. He won well, but I am not sure it was a strong Gold Cup. The second wasn't a certain stayer, and the third was nothing like the horse of the previous year.

Cheers DD

A note of caution that money may not buy success. You may remember Qualimita who had a similar 1/1 profile. She went to Elliott for 500,000, and hasn't won a race under rules.

Jet Of Stars..has to be something other than outpaced or unfit.

Something amiss there MJK, horse looked to be nodding his head really low when asked for an effort, hope all is fine.

An example of the jump game being as laughable as the flat game. Bookmakers in clover getting the front three beat. They have crawled round, and under those circumstances the winner has won quite well. Favourite absolutely woeful. I am not too forgiving of dire performances. I think it's quite feasible that a jumps bred could find himself outpaced off a crawl on quickish ground. Hughes not one to persist once a chance has gone. Either way you wouldn't be interested next time.

Looked like lost its leg at corner
Lurched forward (nod its head )

Stop very quickly
Definitely not right on that bend

That was too bad to be true. Had to be something amiss. The only conclusion I can think of is that there must be some bug in the stable. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they haven't had a winner since July.

I've just read the race report on the RP website and it said the vet reported an irregular heartbeat. That explains that bad run, but not all the others.

I did mention the stable form before the race, but that didn't stop it going off odds on.

Surprised it wasn't P/U.

Just catching up with the racing.
Disappointing to see that run from Jet Of Stars.
As others said he looked very uncomfortable with his head dipping low. Hopefully he will be OK.

Nice to see The Real Whacker back in the winners enclosure.

Horse reported lame as well as the irregular heartbeat.

Narciso Has. Stay hurdling or novice chasing? If there was no Lossiemouth around I'd say hurdling.

I think they will go chasing with him, MJK

I agree, DD. They should definitely aim Wodhooh at the Stayers.

One i have played today at Ayr 15.59 is Marsiac. He won a couple of novice hurdles last season at Aintree, then under a penalty at Hereford.
Bumped into a good one next time out in Came From Nowhere.
Stepping up to 3m today should bring about improvement and looks well treated off of 127.

Good luck if playing anything today.

Not good news about these all hurdle fixtures. One of the big pluses for jumping is the variety. Very worrying that it's into October and they have had to wave white flags on track preparation.

Still trying to match up my pointers list to their trainers. Of course some might still be trying to win before being sold. Just got these left:-

Ballyboy Queen
Basil And Olive
Bend The Rules
Blue Bazinga
Debrave Soldier (115,000)
Elusive Dreams (85,000)
Handball Maradona
Justoneglance
Keeptheflagflying
Kimai (95,000)
Limestone Liberty
Lodge To Order
Menethil
North Tipp
Ocean Den
Orderly Watch
Pelican Hill
Rockonfamouslee
Royale Walk (145,000)
Signoffonthat
Spinning A Dream
Whiskeyontherocks (70,000)

Anyone know the whereabouts of any of those?

A very interesting list DD. I've put them all in my tracker, and not one of them had a trainer's name on their page. It is, however, going to be fascinating to see how these horses perform in the upcoming season.

It's going to be hit and miss, but last year's early season has already produced The Mourne Rambler, Stick To The Board, Order On Time, and Even Tho, who were all above average bumper winners. Not helped by the increasing numbers going to Skelton who seemingly just messes about in bumpers. Strange as he appears to have an almost manic desire for winners. Henderson not far off doing similar these days. Clearly being competitive in bumpers does not destroy horses - ask Willie Mullins. Anyway, I still think this is much more enjoyable than chasing after unraced and hyped up 2yo's. At least you have something to go on.

Caution on the Northern HH circuit imv….

NH…..especially Ayr….in my humble opinion.