With the impending approach of winter, the jump season is imminent, and punters have plenty of meetings to get excited about for the rest of the year.
Punters can bet on the returning jump season, with various meetings taking place over the winter months. Horse racing betting is available across all jumps meetings, with the Kempton Winter Festival being the standout event in the next few months.
The beginning of the jump season provides punters with the opportunity to witness different stables’ strongest horses, wildcards and potential horses aimed at the Cheltenham Festival further down the line in March 2020.
We’ve taken a look at all important trainers to watch out for over the season and their star horses.
Yards to keep an eye on
Gordon Elliott
Gordon Elliott is very much the man when it comes to producing winners at major horse racing festivals – in particular, the Cheltenham Festival. Elliott has already sent plenty of his Irish raiders to meetings in the UK, including Perth, Downpatrick, Sligo and Fairyhouse. The big question is whether or not he can get Samcro back to his old form after such a disappointing return last campaign.
Away from Samcro, Elliott declared Tiger Roll will be going for a record-breaking third Grand National next year, and as a result, his preparation is key. It’s too early to tell where Tiger Roll will be sent, but rest assured Elliott will be making sure the nine-year-old has some important runs before heading to the Grand National. Elliott hasn’t ruled out the Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival either, which he won at a canter last campaign.
Nicky Henderson
No doubt all eyes will be on the 68-year-old’s beast in Altior, where Henderson has admitted he is still unsure about where he will be sending his superstar before the Cheltenham Festival next March. Henderson has admitted he feels Altior needs another half a mile, which may help fans to guess where his preparation will be. Altior is unbeaten in the last four years, and Henderson will want to make sure wherever he may head that he will be 100% ready to protect his outstanding record.
Jonjo O’Neill
The 67-year-old trainer has recently declared he has no interest in retiring, with his two sons riding for him and getting results in the process.
To put it blunt, O’Neill said: “I won’t be giving up for a long time yet. The only way they are going to be taking me out here is in the box.”
O’Neill has two potential stars he is in the process of training, Cloth Cap and Sky Pirate. The former is targeted for the Grand National, while the latter has an earlier target, aiming to be prepped and ready to land the Gold Cup in November.
His yard is not quite as powerful as previous years, but watch out for any potential wildcards which the yard could throw up over the next coming months from arguably one of the best trainers in the last decade.
The jump season
We’re set for another exciting jump season campaign, with plenty of top-quality racing to take place across the UK and Ireland. It may well be winter, but the best racing is about to come!
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.