One Jump Ahead author and Racing UK analyst Mark Howard provides us with five jumpers to follow this National Hunt season.
APPLE’S SHAKIRA - NICKY HENDERSON
Five times Grade 1 winner Apple’s Jade started her career with Emmanuel Clayeux and was a winner on her hurdles debut at Vichy in May 2015. Her full-sister Apple's Shakira won the same event by eight and a half lengths two years later for the same connections.
Subsequently bought for a small fortune by J P McManus, the daughter of Saddler Maker is now residing at Seven Barrows in Lambourn and, all being well, will bid to provide her new owner with his third consecutive win in the Triumph Hurdle and Nicky Henderson’s seventh. She could be a very smart juvenile hurdler this winter.
DESTIN D'AJONC - GORDON ELLIOTT
McManus also shelled out a handsome sum for another potentially top-class recruit from France in Destin D'Ajonc.
Fourth in a 12-furlong Flat race in August last year, he successfully switched codes for Yannick Fouin and ran out a hugely impressive 10-length winner of the Prix Pride of Kildare, a conditions hurdle at Auteuil a couple of months later. The second and third have won since.
The champion owner stepped in soon afterwards and the four-year-old has joined Gordon Elliott.
Conditions hurdles will presumably be on his agenda this season before embarking on a chasing career next Autumn. He may not be a household name at present but expect that to change in the near future.
JERRYSBACK - PHILIP HOBBS
A minor cut below his knee prevented Jerrysback from running at either Cheltenham or Aintree but he remains a terrific prospect for Philip Hobbs.
Despite only winning one of his four Irish points, he sauntered to novice hurdle wins at Plumpton and Wetherby before injury intervened.
The handicapper has granted him a mark of 139 and it will be interesting to see if he is targeted at something like the Silver Trophy at Chepstow on Saturday week. Potentially well treated, he can win a good handicap or two over hurdles before sent chasing. Either way, the Jeremy gelding is one to watch out for.
STAY HUMBLE - WILLIE MULLINS
Willie Mullins acquired any number of ex-pointers during the spring/summer including the unbeaten Stay Humble.
Trained to win his point by Pat Doyle, the Beat Hollow gelding was a five lengths winner at Ballynoe in early April and was snapped up on behalf of Andrea and Graham Wylie.
He reportedly impressed in the jumping department and demonstrated a high cruising speed in the process and is likely to be sent down the bumper route this campaign.
Ireland’s champion trainer has already won the Festival bumper at Cheltenham on a record breaking eight occasions and he may have another prime candidate for the 2018 version.
TOPOFTHEGAME - PAUL NICHOLLS
Topofthegame was included in this feature 12 months ago and Paul Nicholls’ former Irish pointer developed into a 139 rated novice hurdler.
However, the giant son of Flemensfirth is expected to excel over fences this term and make a high-class novice chaser.
Purchased for £120,000 having won his sole point across the water, he was a narrow scorer at Ascot last December on his Rules debut before running creditably in Graded company at Cheltenham’s Trials meeting.
Outsprinted after the last by subsequent Grade 1 runner-up Beyond Conceit at Ascot in mid February, he swerved the spring Festivals with his future in mind. Built and bred for the larger obstacles, the five year old is an exciting prospect who will relish the step up to three miles.
Mark Howard, author of One Jump Ahead & Racing UK.
One Jump Ahead, which includes interviews with Brian Ellison, Harry Fry, Philip Hobbs, Malcolm Jefferson, Alan King, Tom Lacey, Olly Murphy, Paul Nicholls, Ben Pauling, David Pipe and Colin Tizzard, can be purchased for £9.99 (including postage) from www.mhpublications.co.uk.