Northern Horses to Follow 2017/18

I didn’t have a particular number in mind, but I’ve come up with a round 20 horses trained in the North and which may be seen in Scotland and the North in the coming months. There’s a spread of known names, up and coming and few left field ones.

BAL DE RIO (Brian Ellison)

Twice a winner on the flat this one has run into some decent sorts in three hurdles runs, particularly when running into two potential Graded level novices at Kelso. He did nothing wrong in keeping on for third on that occasion and then ran into Slanelough, who had run into a number of decent animals last season. Bal De Rio has earned a workable mark of 115 for handicaps, but is well capable of winning a non-handicap novice hurdle or two. He coped well in heavy ground in France so won’t have any problems in winter conditions.

BEYOND THE CLOUDS (Kevin Ryan)

Impressed in bumpers and then looked distinctly decent when beating a promising opponent at Kelso (Some Reign) with two others fair animals over 20 lengths back. He looked a bit green when hitting the front up the Kelso hill but galloped on very well in the style of a potential Graded class novice. I suspect he will be kept to better ground so may have a light winter campaign but is an exciting novice for a predominantly flat based stable.

BIGIRONONHISHIP (Rose Dobbin)

Prospects look bright for the Dobbin stable and I expect this nice chasing type to make up for lost time after failing to score in his first season over fences. He had the look of a chaser when first appearing over hurdles, and ran three decent second places plus losing the plot at Newcastle when refusing to race. We can forgive him that aberration I believe.

He held on well in a fair looking Class 4 event and should show himself better than that level in the coming months.

BIG RIVER (Lucinda Russell)

I’ve had this one marked down for chasing for a while. He performed well in staying handicap hurdles last term, completing his campaign with an impressive 10 length win from a decent field at Kelso over the extended 3m 2f trip.

I understand he will go chasing this season and this likely raced progressive type should make his mark in decent staying novice events.

CELTIC FLAMES (Lucinda Russell)

A lightly raced animal that returned this autumn after an extended period off the track. Beaten but not totally disgraced in novice and handicap hurdle company, I believe he will go chasing before long which should prove his forte. Expect a mark to be made in novice handicap chases assuming he takes forward his hurdles mark of 108.

CLOUDY DREAM (Malcolm Jefferson)

One that flew the flag for my Ten To Follow last season was just a smidgen off the top level in two mile novice events, managing to get Altior off the bridle at Cheltenham in a feat achieved by few animals to date. Recording a well deserved win over 2m 4f at Ayr shows he can handle the longer trip and he can make a mark at the very top level at middle distances.

COCKLE BAY (Lucinda Russell)

Had a record of three pulled up and a brought down before winning his Irish maiden point, but that doesn’t tell the whole story and the third from his win dotted up at Fakenham recently. He got competitive in the two races before his win and has now moved to Arlary.

He will be aimed at staying novice hurdles this season, with a staying chasing career likely sooner rather than later.

FAGAN (Gordon Elliott)

A very useful staying novice hurdler in 2o16, this one had a spell off the track before being left clear by the fall of his one serious rival at Perth on his second chasing outing. He then ran a decent second to top class Ballyandy over 2m 4f on heavy ground, neither trip nor ground particularly favouring him. He will be better when stepped back up in trip and from previous evidence needs ground no worse than good to soft (or Musselburgh soft!) to show his best.

FLY RORY FLY (Nick Alexander)

His new trainer didn’t expect to secure this promising animal and reading between the lines I believes Kinneston have high hopes going forward. After winning his maiden hurdle last spring for Noel Meade, he showed promise in a couple of chases without winning. It is possible he will prove best on decent ground and I would expect Nick Alexander to get a chase win or two out of this one in the coming months.

JONNIESOFA (Rose Dobbin)

A decent novice hurdler two seasons ago, good enough to run at Cheltenham, this one got a niggle and was off the track last season. He was right come the spring but didn’t get the soft ground he needs so his trainer didn’t hurry him. Rose Dobbin is currently waiting for the rain and expect this one to prove a useful novice chase with cut in the ground.

JUST MINDED (Sue Smith)

A fair novice hurdler last season in a fairly light campaign and now expected to go chasing. He should be capable of picking up novice chase wins in the North and will be interesting in handicaps off a hurdles earned mark of 122.

LADY SAMBACK (Maurice Barnes)

A mare from left field that might take advantage of the weakly contested mares’ novice division in the North. She showed pace in a couple of bumpers, particularly when leading for a fair way in a contest won by the decent Scottsdale at Perth. Built to jump a fence I suspect she will come more into her own once obstacles are placed in front of her. A speculative inclusion in this list that might just pay dividends.

PLANET NINE (Rose Dobbin)

Winner of a bumper at the Perth Festival in pleasing style, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one turns out to be an above average novice hurdler. The dam’s four other runners have all won and generally been suited by a distance of ground, with two reaching ratings over 140.

SIMONE (Luicinda Russell)

This one didn’t pull up any trees on debut for Arlary, but her bumper profile is sound enough and she should win in mares’ company this winter and hopefully prove able enough to make a mark in mixed company. If you want a strong pointer she’s a half-sister to Simonsig!

SOME REIGN (Rose Dobbin)

Unfortunately ran into one in Beyond The Clouds at Kelso on hurdles debut, but wasn’t disgraced in finishing a couple of lengths down and his trainer has left something to work on. Considered worthy of contesting a Grade 1 bumper at Aintree, there will be plenty of opportunities in the coming months for what could prove to be a very useful novice hurdler.

TESTIFY (Donald McCain)

A decent novice hurdler for the McCain stable last season, there is an expectation from connections that this one will turn out to be an above average staying novice chasing in the coming campaign. He’s run well on soft and heavy ground to date, but found himself well outpaced at the Cheltenham Festival on quicker ground.

THOMOND (Nick Alexander)

A newcomer to the Alexander stable with a few miles on the clock. He was a fair handicap chaser for Noel Meade, if not the most consistent, but ran a stormer when sixth in the Topham Chase from 14lbs wrong in the handicap. He was raced mostly on good ground, so presumably doesn’t handle cut, and may be one for the decent ground at Musselburgh if raced in the winter. Might pop up at a decent price.

TOTAL ASSETS (Simon Waugh)

Effectively over fences and hurdles, this one kept improving last season and a cracking first run of the autumn at Hexham suggests she may continue on an upward curve. Stays 3m 2f well and is a four time winner at my regular haunt of Kelso.

WAITING PATIENTLY (Malcolm Jefferson)

The whisper I got regarding this previously unexposed animal last autumn proved to be right on the mark. He turned into one of the best middle distance novice chasers seen in 2016/17 and his win over Politologue at Haydock was a cracking performance. Denied a chance to take a tilt at Cheltenham following an injury he should be right up there in middle distance chases along with his stablemate Cloudy Dream. All of a sudden the North has some decent animals to take into battle.

WEMYSS POINT (Philip Kirby)

I spotted this one rattling home for second in a mid-season Musselburgh bumper behind Senatus. He bagged a couple more seconds before an unsuccessful tilt at flat maidens. I presume the stable will now return their sights to hurdles, probably over the minimum distance and kept to good ground. Musselburgh meetings are likely to be highlighted in the Kirby stable diary.