Racing TV Jump Season Preview: 'I think he has something really special'

Horse Racing

Mon October 19, 2026 · 3h ago

The barbs are flying as Nick Luck is joined by Ruby Walsh, Lydia Hislop, Jane Mangan and Josh Stacey for the Racing TV Jump Season Preview 2026/27.

No opinion is safe as numerous, wide-ranging subjects are discussed in the 90-minute discussion, including the flagbearer for the season and any up-and-coming challengers. And the panel are all in agreement about which horse tops the pile: Gaelic Warrior.

Stacey explains his thinking: “I know he won the Gold Cup, but I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface with him. He could yet improve. I thought his Gold Cup win was the most professional performance we’d ever seen from him, and he could still get better.”

The Willie Mullins-trained chaser won three of his five starts last season, with his most breathtaking performances coming when landing the Cheltenham Gold Cup by eight lengths and then following up with a 26-lenngth defeat of stablemate – and old rival – Fact To File in the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Walsh recalls: “From the word go last season, when Fact Or File went to beat him in the John Durkan and he rallied to win, there were some brilliant races that he was involved in. The King George where he was third. It’s hard to think that we might get all of those good races again, but just some of them would be great.”

Hislop makes a compelling case: “I think he’s the superstar. I can’t see any horse who finished behind him at Cheltenham getting past him there this year. And because he has such a body of work behind him, I’m confident that he can come back year after year.

“If he does go back to Kempton [for the King George], it needs to be a more positive approach, though.”

Mangan agrees. “He looks more tactically versatile now. At the start of the year he was this tearaway, he was a bit of a character which added to his allure. His brain seems to be getting better.”

But, who are the threats?

Walsh, with crossed arms and a look that suggests he doesn’t think anything can get close, nominates Gaelic Warrior's stablemate Kitzbuhel. "Looking at a race like the King George, Kitzbuhel would look an obvious one after winning the novice chase there last winter. But is he a Gold Cup horse? Maybe he is – he won the Brown Advisory – but he will need to go up a bit to get to that next level."

Romeo Coolio - “a very good horse” - is the suggestion of Mangan, who believes that connections will have to plot their horse’s campaign a little more carefully than last year’s muddling season.

“Lulamba wants to go up in trip, certainly,” adds Hislop. “He could be very good and it would give him a bit more time over his fences."

But, stopping just short of a full Corporal Jones impression, she disagrees about Kitzbuhel. “To quote the late great Jonathan Neesom, ‘I’m not sure he likes it up ‘im!'

"Once he’s in a rhythm I think he’s fine, but I think he may need to dominate in the early stages."

Other topics include Harry Cobden’s role as number one jockey to JP McManus, and Dan Skelton’s chance of being Champion Trainer at the Cheltenham Festival, while the panel also try to pick apart the novice division; can you work out which horses are being spoken about here?

“I think he has something really special – there's something about him.” - Josh Stacey

“He’s a strong stayer - I wouldn’t be sure that he’s fast enough to win an Arkle.” - Ruby Walsh

“The best horse didn’t run in the Supreme - I think he’s going to be the star novice chaser this year.” - Jane Mangan

“I love the way he’s ridden, he has loads of pace, and I think he’ll take loads of beating over two miles.” - Ruby Walsh

“I thought it would be a difficult decision for connections whether he’d go chasing but it doesn’t appear to have been.” - Lydia Hislop

Watch the full show on the Racing TV YouTube channel on Monday October 19 at 6pm to find out.

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