Adam Houghton highlights the trainers whose strings have been in particularly good form throughout the last month.
*Trainers with at least 20 runners in October
NICKY RICHARDS
- Winners and runners in Britain and Ireland in October: 9/21
- Strike rate in October: 42.9%
- Timeform run-to-form percentage in October: 57.1%
Nicky Richards had the best strike rate of any National Hunt trainer in Britain and Ireland in October and with nine winners it was the most prolific single month he has enjoyed since matching that tally back in November 2019.
Richards had just the one runner in the first 11 days of the month, so it’s only more recently that the floodgates have opened, both in terms of winners and runners. He enjoyed a double at Ayr at the start of last week and again at Wetherby on Friday, while Houston Texas looked a useful staying chaser in the making when completing a hat-trick on his return from six months off at Carlisle on Sunday (replay below).
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Valuable handicaps like the Peter Marsh and Grand National Trial, both at Haydock, could be within reach for Houston Texas later in the season, while stablemate Nells Son remains a novice to keep on the right side despite meeting with defeat on his chasing debut at Ayr last week. A useful hurdler, he was beaten just a neck at Ayr and could get the opportunity to gain compensation in a novice limited handicap at Carlisle next Monday.
Hard Iron will be another to look out for in the novice handicap hurdle on the same card. He showed improved form to get off the mark at Ayr last week, staying on well to land the spoils win by four and a quarter lengths. He clearly relished the longer trip and his scope for more improvement suggests a 7 lb higher mark might not be enough to stop him in his follow-up bid.
CHRIS GORDON
- Winners and runners in Britain and Ireland in October: 14/33
- Strike rate in October: 42.4%
- Timeform run-to-form percentage in October: 66.7%
Chris Gordon endured a frustrating trip to Huntingdon on Sunday when Aucunrisque had to be withdrawn at the eleventh hour due to unsuitable going, but the trainer can still be satisfied as he reflects on what was a brilliant month otherwise. For context, only Paul Nicholls (17/50) and Fergal O’Brien (16/83) saddled more winners in October and they both had significantly more runners.
No horse epitomises the rude health of the Gordon yard more than Highway One O Two, who has roared back to life this season, surpassing even the form he showed when winning the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton back in February 2020. He ran twice in October, losing out by just a neck on his return to action at Fontwell and then making virtually all to win a valuable handicap hurdle at Ascot on Saturday by seven and a half lengths (replay below).
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsStablemate Leave of Absence, a useful performer in bumpers last season, showed a willing attitude when making a successful hurdling debut in a novice event on the same card at Ascot, while Lord Baddesley put the seal on a very productive month for the yard when winning a handicap hurdle at Plumpton on Monday. A bit like Highway One O Two, he had threatened to lose his way somewhat but has clearly returned at least as good as ever this term.
Only time will tell how good Highway One O Four could be, but he was the subject of a very positive report from Gordon in a recent interview with Sporting Life and it will be interesting to see what he can do when makes his debut in a bumper at Newbury on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Aucunrisque will hopefully get the opportunity to belatedly make his second start over fences at either Wincanton on Saturday or Carlisle on Monday. Beaten just twice in six runs over hurdles, Aucunrisque made a promising start to his chasing career when comfortably winning a novice event at Uttoxeter last month.
WILLIE MULLINS
- Winners and runners in Britain and Ireland in October: 12/35
- Strike rate in October: 34.3%
- Timeform run-to-form percentage in October: 51.4%
It won’t be long before Willie Mullins starts to unleash the big guns at Closutton and it bodes very well for their prospects that the yard enjoyed such a good time of things in October, including a rare successful foray to Cheltenham away from the four-day extravaganza in March.
That was a useful performance from Dads Lad to win a valuable handicap chase at the Showcase Meeting, hitting the front on the run-in and keeping going well from there to land the spoils by three quarters of a length. That was his third victory in a row over fences and the small ‘p’ attached to his Timeform rating denotes that he is likely to progress further as a chaser, though a return to hurdling for the Greatwood at Cheltenham’s November Meeting could be next on his agenda.
Fan de Blues could also be in action at that fixture in the Paddy Power Gold Cup having confirmed himself an improved performer all of a sudden when winning a handicap chase at Cork last month. Other high-profile winners for Mullins in October included the improving novice chasers Authorized Art and Adamantly Chosen, both of whom won Grade Three events, plus the high-class Easy Game, who made it six wins from his last seven starts when landing the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran.
It’s the next few weeks when things really start to get interesting, though, and the Grade One Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown later this month is a race which Mullins is sure to have circled in his diary. The yard has won all but one of the last 11 runnings and their squad for the 2022 edition could include the likes of Sharjah, State Man and Vauban.
PAUL NICHOLLS
- Winners and runners in Britain and Ireland in October: 17/50
- Strike rate in October: 34.0%
- Timeform run-to-form percentage in October: 52.0%
Paul Nicholls was the most prolific National Hunt trainer in October with 17 winners, including two wins apiece for Huelgoat, Shearer and Sonigino. Now unbeaten in three starts over fences, Huelgoat faces his toughest test yet in a novice limited handicap at Newbury on Thursday, lining up there from a 6 lb higher mark than when coming home unchallenged at Fontwell last time.
As for Shearer, he didn’t need to improve to register his second win in a row in a novice hurdle at the Showcase Meeting, while Sonigino has returned a totally different proposition this season having had a breathing operation during the summer. He is reportedly being aimed at the Greatwood and the manner of his victory at Chepstow last time, when making all to win by 13 lengths, suggests he can still be competitive following a 10 lb hike in the weights.
All roads now lead to the King George for Bravemansgame after he gave Nicholls a sixth success in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, the middle leg of an across-the-card treble for the stable on Saturday. Nicholls was also successful at Ascot with Thyme White, who showed improved form after seven months off to win the two-mile handicap chase, and Fire Flyer, who looked a bright prospect when making a winning debut in the concluding bumper.
As for this weekend, it promises to be another busy one for Nicholls, particularly at his local track Wincanton on Saturday. He is responsible for no fewer than 16 entries on that card at the five-day stage, including the likes of McFabulous (‘Rising Stars’ Novices’ Chase), Frodon (Badger Beer Handicap Chase) and Knappers Hill (Elite Hurdle).
NOEL MEADE
- Winners and runners in Britain and Ireland in October: 7/21
- Strike rate in October: 33.3%
- Timeform run-to-form percentage in October: 71.4%
Noel Meade was top of the rankings by Timeform run-to-form percentage in October, showing remarkable consistency in a month when only seven of his 21 runners over jumps finished outside of the first four places.
Jesse Evans was the pick of the stable’s winners when dismissing his four rivals in a Grade Three at Tipperary at the start of last month, quickening clear on the run-in to land the spoils by four and a half lengths (replay below). That was a smart performance and the Morgiana Hurdle could be on his agenda via a spin on the Flat at Naas on Sunday.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsIncidentally, Jesse Evans remains potentially well treated on the level from a mark just 3 lb higher than when finishing a close-up third in a competitive handicap at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend.
More recently, Meade enjoyed a double on Sunday’s card at Galway courtesy of Affordale Fury and Thedevilscoachman. A very smart hurdler, Thedevilscoachman won the beginners chase in the style of one likely to be capable of holding his own in Graded company over fences, while Affordale Fury looks to have a similarly bright future having kicked off his career with two wins in October. He won a bumper at Galway earlier in the month before overcoming a mixed round of jumping to maintain his unbeaten record in a maiden hurdle at the same course on Sunday.
As for this weekend, Jesse Evans won’t be the only high-profile runner for Meade as Beacon Edge, a Grade One-winning novice chaser last season, has a choice of engagements at Down Royal on Saturday. The Ladbrokes Champion Chase gives him the chance of a second top-level win, while the Grade Two Eventsec Chase is limited to second-season chasers and probably wouldn’t take quite as much winning.
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