BLOFELD
Trainer: Rebecca Menzies

‍Under both codes, trainer Rebecca Menzies continues to go from strength to strength and she would appear to have her strongest team of National Hunt horses assembled for the upcoming campaign. With some interesting – and expensive – additions from the Point-to-Point ranks, Menzies will be hopeful of a fruitful campaign and this six-year-old is very much one to note once stepped up in trip as a novice hurdler. A bumper winner on heavy at Ayr, he was declared to run in the Grade 2 at Aintree – a race sponsored by Weatherbys, of course – but was taken out due to drying conditions on Grand National day. By Diamond Boy, his dam is a half-sister to Commanche Court (winner of the 2000 Irish Grand National & Punchestown Gold Cup) so there is bags of stamina in his pedigree. 

‍DOCTOR DU MESNIL
Trainer: W P Mullins

‍Not many Willie Mullins-trained bumper winners would be categorised as being a ‘dark horse’ but this five-year-old won at Cork on Easter Sunday, when most eyes would have been focused on Fairyhouse and the Irish Grand National meeting. Making his racecourse debut over 2m3f, he was ridden with utmost confidence by Jody Townend – who rode her first Cheltenham Festival winner the previous month and just over a week later would partner Bambino Fever to win another Grade 1 at Punchestown – and the Doctor Dino gelding looked full of running as he crossed the line 11 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer. When he returns, he can be expected to improve as he steps up in distance as a hurdler.

‍GRAND GARCON
Trainer: Paul Nicholls

‍Paul Nicholls looks to have a couple of bright prospects for the novice hurdling division this season, in the shape of Doctor On Call and No Drama This End, and whilst this five-year-old is likely more of a long-term prospect, he shaped with abundant promise on his sole start at Chepstow in the spring. A huge son of Kapgarde, he was extremely green when finishing runner-up to a horse who was subsequently purchased by Dan Skelton and he should step forward appreciably over hurdles this winter. Softer ground and a galloping track might be beneficial to him moving forward, so somewhere like Ffos Las could be an ideal starting point.

JET OF STARS
Trainer: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

‍Although Michael Scudamore has been an integral part of the team for a couple of years now, he officially joined Lucinda Russell on the trainer’s license in early-August and the duo have plenty to look forward to in the coming months, including this four-year-old son of Jet Away. He impressed when winning his sole Irish Point, after which he cost new owner, Jimmy Fyffe, £230,000 and with the form having worked out well subsequently (3^rd & 4^th both won next time), he is very much one to look forward to. A half-brother to 2013 Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Johns Spirit, he has the pedigree to match and should do well, either in bumpers or over hurdles, during his first season under Rules.

‍KEOPS DES BORDES
Trainer: Dan Skelton

‍The Skelton team look to have an embarrassment of riches in terms of the novice hurdle division this season – indeed, the trainer is responsible for three of this year’s British Leading Prospects for that very division (within Jumpers To Follow) – and this five-year-old is another to monitor closely. His defeat of now stable-mate Fortune de Mer (Listed bumper winner) in an Irish Point reads well and he ran well when runner-up to the aforementioned No Drama This End in a Warwick bumper on New Year’s Eve. The winner went on to run in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper – as did Fortune de Mer, incidentally – and the way they pulled clear at Warwick suggested that they could be two very nice horses. An imposing son of Tunis, he has been given plenty of time to develop and should do well over hurdles this season, although ultimately, he looks to be a future chaser.

All of these horse feature in Jumpers To Follow 2025-206, which is available now via Weatherbys Shop.