Tony McFadden highlights some of the interesting potential runners at Kelso and Newbury on Saturday.
Harry Derham had only two runners at Cheltenham last week, with Queens Gamble and Turn And Finish both trailing down the field, but the up-and-coming trainer is set to be much busier at Newbury and Kelso this weekend.
Derham has had ten winners from 30 runners at a strike rate of 33.3% in March and will surely be hopeful of adding to his tally at the weekend as he has 11 entries, including Filibustering who earned the Timeform Large P - and high praise from Timeform's reporter - when making a successful start for the yard on his hurdling debut at Kelso a few weeks ago.
Filibustering was a fairly useful handicapper on the Flat for Tim Easterby but looks set to make a bigger impact over hurdles based on the style of his success which prompted Timeform's reporter to say he looked "one of the most natural juvenile hurdlers seen in Britain all season" and that he "jumped remarkably quickly for a first-timer in the main". He could take on older rivals in the novice hurdle at Newbury.
Queensbury Boy was Timeform's highest-rated bumper horse in Britain in the 2023/24 season, when he earned a rating of 116 after winning on debut at Chepstow and then showing even better form in defeat when runner-up to Wingmen at the Punchestown Festival.
He didn't make his debut over hurdles until a few weeks ago but he won that Doncaster maiden with plenty in hand and has the makings of a useful jumper. He has a couple of entries this week, including in a Kelso novice at Saturday that might take plenty of winning if a rival from a leading yard turns up...
Mullins a notable name among Kelso entries
Those British trainers who thought Kelso's card may have offered some respite from the Willie Mullins juggernaut won't have been delighted to find out the Irish champion has entered Chart Topper in the novice hurdle and Armed And Fabulous in the listed mares' hurdle and the mares' novice handicap hurdle, the most valuable race on the card.
Chart Topper, in particular, is likely to have plenty of supporters after finishing runner-up in the Grade 2 Premier Novices' Hurdle at the course a few weeks ago when in pursuit of the hat-trick.
It would be little surprise were Patrick Mullins to take the ride again as he's been having a largely successful tour of British racecourses this season. This season alone, Patrick Mullins has already struck for the first time at Bangor, Carlisle, Catterick, Fontwell, Newcastle, Warwick, Wetherby, Wincanton and Worcester.
He's been provisionally booked to ride Kiwi Rush for Harry Derham in the bumper, so is seemingly set to visit Kelso again in an attempt to tick off a winner at another course.
Prolific winners on display
No horse has won more than six times this jumps season, with Beat Box, Chemical Warfare, Skyjack Hijack, Clean Getaway and Gale Mahler all sitting on half a dozen wins.
Gale Mahler might have the opportunity to add to her tally in the listed mares' hurdle at Kelso, though she's not been at her best since returning from her autumn break and was especially disappointing last time.
One prolific winner in fine form, though, is Aworkinprogress, a progressive six-year-old who is unbeaten in four starts over fences. He also won his final start over hurdles last term, so his winning sequence stands at five.
Aworkinprogress has managed to stay in front of the handicapper by doing just enough, and the cumulative winning margin of his four wins over fences is only four and a half lengths. He again seemed to score with something in hand last time so would be an interesting runner if taking his chance in the concluding staying handicap chase at Newbury, though he also holds a couple of entries on Friday.
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