The days are getting shorter and summer is winding down. It is the time of year that horse racing fans turn their attentions from fast-paced Flat racing and focus on the joys of the Jumps season.
Although the Jumps season began on July 1, the core season begins in next month as trainers ramp up the National Hunt campaign. Some of the biggest horse festivals in the United Kingdom and Ireland are just around the corner giving fans and punters plenty of high-profile races to witness. Starved since March, fans are anticipating which horses to back for the big festivals, and hoping that Covid restrictions will be lifted in time for spectators to attend in person. Punters can get the latest bet bonuses and begin betting on horse racing for the top festivals with the newest promos available now.
Autumn is also a time to formulate your Ten to Follow lists. The Jumps season always sees one or two unknown horses make their mark and every list needs a mix of springers and established performers; having an eye out for up and coming competitors can put money in a punter’s pocket.
Let’s look at 5 horses to follow for the 2020-21 Jumps season before they hit it big.
Walk in the Mill
Robert Walford’s Walk in the Mill had an excellent 2019-20 Jumps season. The pinnacle of the campaign came at Aintree in the Randox Health Becher Handicap Chase in December as Walk in the Mill won the £84,000+ winner’s purse. Walk in the Mill came fourth in the 2019 Grand National and the horse was expected by some to do even better in 2020. This is a relatively small yard that punches above its weight in big races and the 11-year-old will return to the Grand National trail in hopes of winning this season, off a mark of 154.
Slate House
This graduate from the Irish Point-to-Point field showed early promise for Colin Tizzard before falling in Summerville Boy's Supreme Novices' in 2018. Few would have expected Slate House to return to racing as he did in 2019-20 following a successful wind operation. Three of Slate House’s last six races last term ended in victories including wins at Cheltenham, Kempton and Huntingdon. The eight-year-old Colin Tizzard-trained horse could reappear at Cheltenham in a handicap in October. He's a course winner twice over so clearly knows his way around.
Honeysuckle
Henry De Bromhead’s Honeysuckle is certainly one to keep onside this season. The six-year-old has won nine straight races and has never tasted defeat on the racecourse. Her last race came at Cheltenham in March, where she won the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle. De Bromhead now takes Honeysuckle in search of a 10th straight win, and surely a tilt at the Champion Hurdle.
Santini
Santini was well fancied for the Gold Cup and there will be some expecting Santini to drop away this season after finishing second to Al Boum Photo in last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Nicky Henderson-trained horse has been there or thereabout in all of his career races. Santini has won six races in 11 career racing starts. Expect the Henderson/de Boinville team to be well primed in all the top 3m Conditions races. Not an original choice, but one to anchor your list.
Tritonic
A list on the Barbury Races site wouldn't be complete without something from on the estate! Three-year-old Tritonic could surprise a few. While the other horses on this list have proven themselves in races previously, the same cannot be said about Tritonic. Trained by Alan King, Twice a winner in seven starts on the Flat, Tritonic ran most recently in Group company in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury. Expect Alan and Tritonic to appear in the graded Juvenile Hurdles at Cheltenham in November if not before, en route to the Triumph.
The days are getting shorter and summer is winding down. It is the time of year that horse racing fans turn their attentions from fast-paced Flat racing and focus on the joys of the Jumps season.
Although the Jumps season began on July 1, the core season begins in next month as trainers ramp up the National Hunt campaign. Some of the biggest horse festivals in the United Kingdom and Ireland are just around the corner giving fans and punters plenty of high-profile races to witness. Starved since March, fans are anticipating which horses to back for the big festivals, and hoping that Covid restrictions will be lifted in time for spectators to attend in person. Punters can get the latest bet bonuses and begin betting on horse racing for the top festivals with the newest promos available now.
Autumn is also a time to formulate your Ten to Follow lists. The Jumps season always sees one or two unknown horses make their mark and every list needs a mix of springers and established performers; having an eye out for up and coming competitors can put money in a punter’s pocket.
Let’s look at 5 horses to follow for the 2020-21 Jumps season before they hit it big.
Walk in the Mill
Robert Walford’s Walk in the Mill had an excellent 2019-20 Jumps season. The pinnacle of the campaign came at Aintree in the Randox Health Becher Handicap Chase in December as Walk in the Mill won the £84,000+ winner’s purse. Walk in the Mill came fourth in the 2019 Grand National and the horse was expected by some to do even better in 2020. This is a relatively small yard that punches above its weight in big races and the 11-year-old will return to the Grand National trail in hopes of winning this season, off a mark of 154.
Slate House
This graduate from the Irish Point-to-Point field showed early promise for Colin Tizzard before falling in Summerville Boy's Supreme Novices' in 2018. Few would have expected Slate House to return to racing as he did in 2019-20 following a successful wind operation. Three of Slate House’s last six races last term ended in victories including wins at Cheltenham, Kempton and Huntingdon. The eight-year-old Colin Tizzard-trained horse could reappear at Cheltenham in a handicap in October. He's a course winner twice over so clearly knows his way around.
Honeysuckle
Henry De Bromhead’s Honeysuckle is certainly one to keep onside this season. The six-year-old has won nine straight races and has never tasted defeat on the racecourse. Her last race came at Cheltenham in March, where she won the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle. De Bromhead now takes Honeysuckle in search of a 10th straight win, and surely a tilt at the Champion Hurdle.
Santini
Santini was well fancied for the Gold Cup and there will be some expecting Santini to drop away this season after finishing second to Al Boum Photo in last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Nicky Henderson-trained horse has been there or thereabout in all of his career races. Santini has won six races in 11 career racing starts. Expect the Henderson/de Boinville team to be well primed in all the top 3m Conditions races. Not an original choice, but one to anchor your list.
Tritonic
A list on the Barbury Races site wouldn't be complete without something from on the estate! Three-year-old Tritonic could surprise a few. While the other horses on this list have proven themselves in races previously, the same cannot be said about Tritonic. Trained by Alan King, Twice a winner in seven starts on the Flat, Tritonic ran most recently in Group company in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury. Expect Alan and Tritonic to appear in the graded Juvenile Hurdles at Cheltenham in November if not before, en route to the Triumph.
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