The 2024/2025 Jump Season is underway, and if you’re anything like myself, you will already be looking to try and find one or two horses to add to your tracker for the season ahead. With no Grade 1 or Grade 2 races until later on in the year, the summer months allow us to scope the lesser-known runners and try and find some hidden gems.
As much as I enjoy the Flat season from a viewing perspective, I don’t enjoy betting on it. I can comfortably sit and watch the flat racing, but it doesn’t get me out of my seat like the Jump season. When I think about my favourite moments watching this incredible sport, my mind goes straight to Tiger Roll running up the elbow at Aintree to win back-to-back Nationals, Galopin Des Champ getting over the last before falling, allowing Bob Olinger to win the 2022 Turners at Cheltenham or even more recently the late, great, Shishkin falling at last in the King George when Hewick got up from out of nowhere to win the race at Kempton. Jump Racing does toy with your emotions. There is nothing quite like it.
Embed from Getty ImagesNicky Henderson
Let’s start with Nicky Henderson. 6 time British Champion Trainer. A yard that has so many wonderful horses. Constitution Hill, Sir Gino, Luccia, and Jango Baie are all horses who have already won G1s, to name a few.
Peaky Boy. The 6-year-old joined Henderson from Michael Scudamore’s yard back in October 2023. Before joining the team at Seven Burrows, Peaky Boy won a point-to-point at Borris House in Ireland, beating Persian Time by 5 lengths, who has since gone on to race in a couple of Grade 1’s. He won a National Hunt flat race over 2 miles for Michael Scudamore at Newcastle before moving to Nicky Henderson.
Embed from Getty ImagesSince moving to Nicky’s yard, Peaky Boy has run twice and won twice. Both wins have come at Cheltenham, which is always a nice sign. After his last win, Nicky Henderson had this to say:
Nicky Henderson on Peaky Boy following his win at Cheltenham
“He’s a nice horse who has a future over fences. His first run here took a bit out of him and he is a bit like that. He’ll strengthen up and toughen up but will be lovely to go chasing with next season”
His last run was impressive. After jumping the last hurdle, he showed his stamina by staying on and seeing off a strong finishing Diamond Ri. Already, Nicky’s main man, Nico de Boinville, is familiar with the horse, and the fact that he has won on him around Cheltenham, in my opinion, bodes well.
Paul Nicholls
Kalif Du Berlais. A horse I am looking forward to seeing this season is Paul Nicholls’ 4-year-old. I was impressed with what I saw last season from the French gelding. He ran three times last season, winning twice and finishing 3rd in his final run at Aintree in a Grade 1 race, which saw another two exciting prospects, Sir Gino (Nicky Henderson) and Kargese (Willie Mullins), finish ahead of him.
The 3rd at Aintree was a respectable 3rd. It looked as though Joseph Patrick O’Brien’s 4-year-old Interlotto would finish 3rd, but Kalif Du Berlais found more, and Harry Cobden managed to claim the 3rd place in Kalif Du Berlais’s first effort in a Grade 1.
The horse has a big heart and always tends to find more when it looks like its race is run. The performance at Aintree, when finishing 3rd, was similar to the Grade 2 Coral Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton, which he won just two months earlier. The run-in was between Givemefive (Harry Derham) and Kalif Du Berlais. Kalif Du Berlais showed serious stamina and heart and got up to win close to the line.
Embed from Getty ImagesFollowing Kalif Du Berlais’ win in the Coral Adonis Juvenile at Kempton, Paul Nicholls had this to say:
“He might have to go chasing next season. He’s absolutely a smart prospect – one of the nicest we’ve had for a long time to go chasing”
For a trainer of Paul Nicholl’s calibre to turn around and say that Kalif Du Berlais “is one of the nicest we’ve had” speaks volumes. The horse has won on Soft and Good To Soft, and it will be interesting to see how he develops over the jump racing season.
Dan Skelton
Gwennie May Boy. Ahhh Dan Skelton. I have a love/hate relationship with the Skeltons. More so Harry than Dan if I am being honest and that is only because when I don’t back Harry, he wins, when I do back Harry, he doesn’t. But, with that being said, Harry’s brother Dan has done an incredible job over the past few years and his 6-year-old Gwennie May Boy is a horse I can not wait to see again.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe gelding started at Jonjoe O’Neill’s yard and raced seven times whilst there. He won a couple of times too during that time, once at Bangor and another time at Ludlow but after pulling up in a race at Warwick in September 2023, Gwennie May Boy moved to Dan Skelton’s yard.
Since moving to Dan’s yard, Gwennie May Boy has raced three times and won all three races. In his last race, Gwennie May Boy won the William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Aintree and he won it well. He got to the front very strongly and stayed on in the run-in. Ironically Dan’s brother Harry, decided to ride Gwennie May Boy’s stable mate West Balboa who was the favourite for the race which allowed Charlie Todd to take the ride.
Dan Skelton following Gwennie May Boy’s win at Aintree last season:
“I genuinely thought West Balboa would win and I’m astounded by the improvement in this horse. Gwennie May Boy is only six years old and I’ve not had him all that long, and it’s remarkable how much he has improved”
The win at Aintree was the 6-year-old’s second win in a big field. Just a month before winning the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, Charlie Todd was once again on board when Gwennie May Boy won at Uttoxeter that had 17 runners. Like Aintree, he got over the final hurdle and had plenty left in the tank to ensure he wouldn’t be beaten.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe horse won on Good To Soft and Heavy ground, so he likes testing surfaces. Who knows what this horse could be capable of with a bit of schooling?
Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero
Iroko. Two of my favourite trainers are Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero. Last season I backed quite a few of their horses and they did me well. I also like their jockey, Henry Brooke. So I had to include one of their horses in this. It wasn’t easy to select one, but I managed to settle on Iroko.
Iroko is a 6-year-old gelding owned by the legend J P McManus. Iroko has been with Oliver Greenall since 2021 after leaving Emmanuel Clayeux’s yard. He ran three times last season and won once. The race that caught my eye last season was his 2nd in a Grade 1 Novices Chase at Aintree. Iroko finished behind Inothewayurthinkin.
That race had some good runners in it. Henry De Bromhead had Heart Wood, and Kim Bailey had Chianti Classico. Only a month earlier, Chianti Classico won the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. So, despite not winning, there was something to take away from the run.
Iroko’s win last season came in a Class 3 Novice Chase at Warwick in November. The same race was won a year earlier by Stage Star, who went on to win a Grade 1 for Paul Nicholls. This was Iroko’s first Novice Chase, and he found it easy. He won on the bridle, making a Grade 2 winning horse in Golden Son look average.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter finishing second last time out at Aintree, Oliver Greenall had this to say
“He tries and stays and jumps so well. When he’s flat out he still jumps really well. It was fairly tacky ground out there and he was tired. He could go to Punchestown and there are races like the Coral Gold Cup next season
It seems pretty clear that the trainers have an idea of a route for Iroko and I can not wait to see what comes of it. I really think a Grade 1 win is waiting for him next season.
Willie Mullins
Embed from Getty ImagesLa Note Verte. I couldn’t not include the main man, could I? Willie Mullins. There are so many great horses with Willie Mullins that you could include 10 to 15 different selections, but I’ve opted to go for one that perhaps not many would have heard of, and truth be told, a week ago, I hadn’t.
La Note Verte is a 4-year-old filly and has only raced twice. Her first run was at Fairyhouse in March and was on Heavy Ground. She finished 8th in a 14-runner race. I watched her at Listowel on the 1st of June, and despite not knowing what the field she raced against was capable of, she impressed me.
She won the race comfortably and even went a long way by racing wide throughout. This was Good going, and as soon as the race finished, I added her to my tracker. The filly looks like she has a big engine, and I don’t think there is anyone better to progress her into a special horse than Mr Willie Mullins.
Patrick Mullins, the winning jockey on La Note Verte following her win at Listowel.
“She hated the ground first-time out and is a real summer mare. She is not very big, is light-boned and will run away during the summer. I think there is a bit more there with her and I imagine she will go jumping now.”
She is raw, and we may not know more about her until the new year, but she is an exciting prospect, and I’m looking forward to seeing if I have found a gem.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos