As the mornings get colder, and the days get shorter, the anticipation for the upcoming national hunt season starts to build, igniting the excitement of every horse racing fan.
From point-to-points, French imports, to the tried and tested, the diverse range of horses in the upcoming season is sure to pique our interest as we search for that special something that will elevate them to the next level.
Here, I have outlined some of the national hunt horses that are poised to shape the upcoming season, and some that have the potential to ascend to superstardom, sparking hope that they will reign supreme at the Cheltenham Festival.
Karniquet
T: Willie Mullins
O: Gigginstown House Stud
F: 15242
He won his maiden hurdle at Tramore on his first start for Willie Mullins last season, and was then put straight into Grade 1 novice company on his next start at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.
A bad mistake at the second hurdle when on the lead ended any chance of winning that day (SP 11/2), but he bounced back on his next start with a good staying on 2nd (clear of the rest) to Kopek Des Bordes at the DRF.
Everything happened too fast for him in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but again, he stayed on well to the line. You forgive him for his odds-on defeat at Fairyhouse, as that wasn’t long after his Cheltenham effort.
His sire Kapgarde has a knack for producing top-class staying chasers with the likes of Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard, five-time Grade 1 winner Clan Des Obeaux, Grade 1 winner Fakir d’Ouddairies, and French Grade 1 winner Milord Thomas.
Kapgarde has also had a hand in producing a host of winning handicap chasers like Kandoo Kid (Coral Gold Cup), Il Ridoto (Paddy Power Gold Cup), as well as the high-class mare, Brighterdaysahead.
We know that Final Demand looks the obvious one for the middle to staying distances over fences this season for Mullins, but a lot is pointing to Karniquet leaving his hurdles form well behind him once he jumps a fence and steps up in distance.
Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Betting
Brown Advisory Novices Chase: 50/1
Sortudo
T: Willie Mullins
O: Michael Feeley
F: 212271
It’s not easy to work out how the crop of bumper horses will get on this season, but with Sortudo, he’s one that is going to excel once he goes jumping.
This P2P runner-up kicked off his bumper season with an eye-catching win at Tramore, and that was followed by a second to the classy Carrigmoornaspruce with Switch From Diesel back in third (gave weight to both).
That was backed up with another runner-up finish this time to Colcannon (form ties in well with Heads Up, who he beat at Galway last year) at the DRF.
He was sent off at 33/1 for the Champion Bumper and ran well for a long way, eventually finishing seven lengths back in seventh.
A trip to Fairyhouse on Irish National Day was on the cards for his final run of the season, and he put in an impressive display on deep ground to win by an easy twelve lengths.
Sortudo was never going to show his best in bumpers, so the fact that he has shown up so well in them, which included two wins, gives you a lot of optimism that he is a very talented gelding.
He’s by Authorized out of the unraced Sainte Des Bordes, who is by top jumps stallion Saint Des Saints.
Saint Des Saints has produced some high-class jumpers with the likes of Djakadam, Fastorslow, Protektorat, Saint Calvados, and Gentlemen De Mee to name but a few.
Ultimately, we won’t see the ceiling of his ability until he jumps a fence. However, given that he seems to excel on soft/heavy ground, there are plenty of Graded races in the depths of winter that are there for the taking.
He’s not the one that everyone is talking about coming out of Closutton, but he may be the one that they are talking about coming into the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Betting
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 33/1
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle: 20/1
Colcannon
T: Noel Meade
O: Philip Meade Syndicate
F: 211-3
This five-year-old son of Berkshire comes into his novice hurdle season on the back of a more than fruitful time in bumpers.
Having run four times in bumpers as a four-year-old, which saw him finishing third in two, second in one, and being first past the post against Sermandzark in Punchestown before getting disqualified for his jockey weighting in light, Colcannon made the most of his experience when connections decided to shelve a novice hurdle campaign and stick to another season in bumpers.
He got the better of Heads Up at Galway, who went on to finish runner-up in the Champion Bumper. Colcannon went on to show that he was a top-level bumper horse when pulling away in the closing stages to get the better of Sortudo in a Grade 2 bumper at the Dunblin Racing Festival.
That win ruled him out of the Champion Bumper, but he went head-to-head with the Champion Bumper winner, Bambino Fever, at Punchestown, where he seemed to run flat, only managing a third-place finish.
Now, the big question is whether Noel Meade has sorted out his jumping, which made connections put his hurdling career on hold for a season. I’d be more than confident that he will be more than capable of jumping at speed, and given the way he travels throughout his races, they have plenty of options going forward.
Should he not be up to Grade 1 level, there are plenty of high-value handicap hurdles there for the taking.
Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Betting
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 33/1
Haiti Couleurs
T: Rebecca Curtis
O: The Brizzle Boys
F: 211311-
I can’t believe more people are not talking about Haiti Couleurs being the horse to take over the 3m chase division in the UK.
The Rebecca Curtis-trained eight-year-old was a huge improver last season, winning four of his six starts (held up in both defeats) , which included a win in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, and the highlight was a dominant display from the front to win the Irish Grand National.
There has been talk that the Grand National is the plan, but I can’t wrap my head around why they are not going to target the big Graded 3m chases. You have the likes of the Betfair Chase, King George, Denman Chase, Cotswold Chase, Fleur De Lys Chase, and Gold Cup where the likes of Grey Dawning, Royale Pagaille, Caldwell Potter, The Jukebox Man, L’Homme Presse and so on will line up, and he is more than capable of mixing it with them, if not beating them.
Then you start looking at the likes of the King George, Denman Chase, Cotswold Chase, and so on. He’s uncomplicated, goes on any ground, and is the epitome of a fast-improving staying chaser.
Should they rethink their plan for the season, Haiti Couleurs has what it takes to play a major role in open Graded races this season.
Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Betting
Gold Cup: 40/1
