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Nassauboard.co.uk
The special this week is a list of horses that fellow contributors like for the upcoming NH Season. I asked them all for one to watch and this is what we all came up with, starting with my selection
Ballyhaunis
An unraced hurdles prospect is my horse to follow, much against my normal thinking, and this one is with Willie Mullins. The important thing about this horse is that it was mooted at a Triumph Hurdle horse last season but was put away to strengthen up for a novice season as a four year old. He was very useful in his short flat career, gaining a rating of 95 in staying races, including when 3rd behind Mourad at Down Royal.
Mikael D'Haguenet Dave209
The horse I am most looking forward to this new national hunt season comes from across the water from the Willie Mullins yard and the horse is Mikael D'Haguenet. The horse burst some big bubbles last season including Pandorama and the previously unbeaten and impressive Diamond Harry. He showed a sharp turn of foot in a steadily run race in the Ballymore when just getting squeezed at the second last, and won very nicely in the end.
His last win over Cousin Vinny and the infinitely promising and well-regarded Bouggler at Punchestown was also quite nice at the end of a tough season. I think the horse is going to go chasing this season and as much as people are talking about Punchestowns in that division, I think this fella is the one to watch.'
Punjabi Army Stick
He is a likeable strapping gelding who has taken time to
fill his frame and anything he has done so far has to have been a bonus. On his
latest start at Newbury last February he suffered a freak injury pinching his
near rear between two hurdles and skinning his leg from knee to hoof. He had a
succesful operation and thankfully is none the worse and back in training with
Lucy at
That day at Newbury he chased the winner Definity all the way to the line and would have been a lot closer but for his mishap at the last hurdle. Richard Johnson was on board that day and was very taken with him.
The winner went to
He looks a chaser in the making and is a horse that everyone should have in their notebooks
Hurricane Fly FamousKautoStar
High class horse on the flat finished 2nd by 2 lengths in a G2 in France to a horse that went on to win the Champion Stakes
at Newmarket has improved upon that form over hurdles had the best novice form even though he missed the festival
due to a splint growth, he slammed the Supreme Novice winner twice by 10l and 12l, this horse is the real deal and will
fly up that hill come March
Vino Griego BarnieChuckles
My horse to watch out for re the 2009/10 NH season is one that I have been following since he made his debut at Newbury
in January namely Vino Griego trained by Gary Moore. First time up, the son of Kahyasi, was an excellent second in an 18
runner 12 furlong National Hunt Flat race, only beaten a length. This initial promise was franked next time out, on his
most recent run, when stepped up to 2 miles he effortlessly won a National Hunt Flat race at Ascot beating in the process
the Irish trained Western Leader, who had won his previous heat by 15 lengths and was to go in again on his next start.
Following this win there was talk of Vino Griego being aimed at Cheltenham's Champion Bumper but connections wisely
swerved this heat, with the youngster, preferring instead to give him more time to fully develop.
I am as excited about this beast as I have been about any other in recent years and think he has the potential to go right
to the top. In the short term Vino Griego can be expected to take very high rank amongst this season's novice hurdlers.
Carruthers RainbowView
The horse I am most looking forward to seeing this jumps season is
Caruthers. I have liked this horse for basically his whole career and
when he put up a super performance to trounce Nenuphar Collognes I
realised I may be following a good horse. There was always and still is
something about him that grabs my attention, maybe it’s because he is
from a yard which isn’t recognised as one of the bigger and most
popular yards. Being owned by Lord Oaksey alone makes him a very
popular horse. Although he owes me a lot of money I feel he still has a
bright future ahead of him.
It was not until his 4th career start that we started to see his front
running tactics which have made him an interesting horse to watch.
After smashing Nenuphar Collognes 13 length Carruthers then went on to
land a moderate hurdles race at Bangor by 25 lengths before weakening
badly at Cheltenham to finish 11th in the Albert Bartlett with Nenuphar
Collognes winning the race, raising a question did Carruthers handle
Cheltenham?.
Last season he was switched to fences and had a very good season
finishing 2nd on his first start behind already race fit What A Friend
when trying to make every yard. He was then sent to Folkestone to win
easily in what I seen as a confidence booster, I then realised what a
very good jumper of a fence Carruthers is. He put up an outstanding
display of jumping from the front to see off the likes of the highly
rated Breedsbreeze when landing the Reynoldstown at Ascot. On his final
start he ran a eyecatching 4th in the Sun Alliance blazing out in front
and only a few mistakes prevented him from finishing in the top
3.Answering the question Yes in my opinion he does handle Cheltenham.
On to this season and I expect a busy campaign for Carruthers although
it remains unknown which races he will go for, The Hennessey could be a
target and I think he would stay the distance well however I wouldn’t
be so keen on him setting such a strong pace as he did at Cheltenham, I
would like to see him slow it down a tiny bit. Obviously if he does go
to the Hennessey and Denman turns up as the same horse he once was he
is going to take some stopping. He is also being talked up for the
Paddy Power Gold Cup but being over 2m4f not sure if he will go for
that. So probs one of those races to start off, and I am wondering if
they are going to go the Gold Cup route with him this season they
certainly will try it one year soon if not this year. As a bet was
placed at 1000-1 for Carruthers to win the race before he was even
born.
Kalahari King MWildcats
This year I am looking forward to seeing Ferdy Murphy trained Kalahari
King. Last season this 8yr old kept improving for every run beginning
off in a beginners chase worth 5k before running up through the grades
before running a cracker in the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival
losing by a short head by Forpadydeplasterer in what can arguably be
described as too softer ground for Kalahari King to show his true
ability. He then went onto win the John Smiths chase over at Aintree
beating Tatenen by 8 lengths on ground described as good to soft good
in places, showed brilliant jumping ability that day as well as a turn
of foot to get away from 2furlongs out.
He then lost to Twist Magic by 10lengths but that run can easily be
excused. I am not 100% sure what Kalahari Kings final destination will
be at the Cheltenham Festival he is currently prominent in the betting
for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and if Master Minded dosent make
the race KK has a great chance. I just feel he can improve so much
more, he’s such a versatile horse over 2m – 2m 4fl I think if Ferdy can
plot his races correctly this year Graham Lee could land a few big
prizes.