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racing news 2013 |
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racing news /
Five Youngsters Tipped to Make An Impression Ahead of the New National Hunt Season 09/10/13
With the new National Hunt season just around the corner, it's around this time that racing fans look at which horses and stables can make an impression over obstacles over the coming months. The big name stars of the jumps world are fairly obvious with the likes of Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig, Cue Card, Big Buck's and Bobs Worth having established themselves at the highest level over the past couple of years but the question is, who are the horses to look out for that could be the next generation of big race winners? Here's five possible emerging talents to keep an eye out for during the 2013/2014 campaign.
Just A Par
Paul Nicholls had a tough season last year as he lost his seven year grip on the National Hunt Trainers Championship to Nicky Henderson but in Just A Par, he might just have another star of the future on his hands that could help him regain that crown.
The lightly raced six-year-old had just the two starts for Nicholls last season but managed to show enough potential during those runs to mark himself out as one watch. His best performance to date came when he finished second behind At Fishers Cross in the Sefton Novices Hurdle at Aintree which looks like rock solid form by any standard. A son of Island House, Just A Par cost £260k at the sales as a five-year-old and Nicholls is convinced that tackling bigger obstacles will bring out the best in the horse and with stamina likely to be on his side, the RSA Chase at Cheltenham is likely to be his long term aim during his novice chasing season.
West Wizard
As always, Nicky Henderson has a number of younger horses with promise heading in to the Autumn but the one that is hugely exciting prospect is West Wizard. A son of King’s Theatre, the four-year-old already has a big reputation despite having had just the one run under rules so far. He won his first and only start to date at Kempton last season in a bumper and has been kept fresh ever since with this campaign in mind. The two horses behind him at Kempton have since franked the form and given the positive noises from the yard, it could be that West Wizard makes up into a leading Supreme Novices Hurdle contender this winter, a race in which he is already prominent in the market.
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It is impossible to put together a ‘horses to follow’ list without taking a closer look at the all-powerful Willie Mullins yard over in Ireland. Mullins has dominated the jumps scene across the Irish Sea for years now and that looks set to continue with the likes of Moyle Park set to make a big impact.
The five year-old won both of his bumper starts in impressive fashion last term, including at the Punchestown Festival, ensuring his hefty price tag of £250,000 looks likely to be money well spent. Owned by the Ricci family, Moyle Park is clearly one to follow and despite the fact he is yet to jump a hurdle in public, he already looks well placed towards the head of the Neptune Novices Hurdle ante-post market and will be a short price favourite to win on his seasonal debut and if he's anywhere near as good as his reputation suggests, he could be one to follow all the way to Cheltenham.
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Clondaw Kaempfer is not an unknown quantity for Donald McCain Jnr but nevertheless he is certainly one to follow after showing plenty of potential last season. The Bankhouse Stable in-mate looked like a top class novice hurdler last season before being pulled up with an injury at Newbury in the Challow Novices Hurdle. He hasn’t been seen since but connections are still hopeful he can fulfil his potential with chasing expected to suit the five-year-old in time. Prior to that Newbury run, he won two decent races in impressive fashion and the feeling is that he has bags of potential. He will need to prove he has recovered from his injury but given his age he still has plenty of time on his side and it would be no surprise to see make his presence felt on the biggest stages this coming season whether that is over hurdles or bigger obstacles.
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Oscar Rock could emerge as a stellar novice hurdler this winter. The five-year-old showed some excellent bumper form last term for Harry Fry but having moved to the Malcolm Jefferson stable over the summer, he is being tipped for even bigger things. He bolted up on his last start at Newbury back in February ahead of Vago Collonges, who is another decent prospect, which looks like good form at this early stage of his career. The change of yard is an interesting move for a young horse but the potential is clearly there with either the Neptune Novices or Supreme Novices the likely aim if he maintains his form and fitness and continues his upward curve.
