THE jumps season is starting to swing into top gear with some of the sport’s biggest races getting ever closer. It promises to be another superb six months with champions crowned along the way. Here’s ten horses it should pay to follow this winter and into the spring.

Collectors Item (Jonjo O’Neill)
This well-bred five-year-old kicked off his hurdling career in style when beating well-regarded Hugos New Horse at Chepstow three weeks ago.
He was runner-up in a Newbury bumper last season having filled the same position in an Irish point-to-point, so it was no surprise to see him come home strongly on his hurdles debut.
When he steps up in distance to two-and-a-half miles or more he will be even better and he looks a really smart prospect.

Editeur Du Gite (Gary Moore)
There were few more exciting horses to watch last season than Editeur Du Gite.
He won a couple of hot two-mile handicap chases around Cheltenham with his slick jumping and relentless front-running tactics.
There was no disgrace in finishing fourth in the Grand Annual at the Festival in March and he made a promising comeback last weekend when surprisingly ridden more patiently.
There are more races in this one.

I’d Like To Know (Chris Gordon)
Hampshire-based Chris Gordon has made a super start to the season and he’s a trainer going places.
He might not have any top-class horses quite yet but the man with a Group 1 sense of humour has high hopes for this promising five-year-old.
He was runner-up on his only start in an Irish point-to-point at Dromahane in the spring. If his home work is anything to go by he’ll be winning races as a novice hurdler.

Lac De Constance (Dan Skelton)
The patient approach is often the best approach to training jumpers.
Dan Skelton has sensibly taken his time with this lovely big six-year-old.
He wasn’t tempted to aim for any of the end-of-season Festivals despite rattling off a hat-trick of novice hurdle wins.
Chasing is going to be very much his game and he could easily end up in graded company as a novice with a step up in distance from his two-mile hurdles victories sure to suit.

Last Royal (Keiran Burke)
One of my trainers to follow this season is Keiran Burke.
Based at the impressive Whitcombe racing stables in Dorset, he will forever be remembered for guiding Hunt Ball from humble beginnings to Cheltenham Festival glory.
He’s dropped off the radar a little but seems to have a decent team to go to war with and Last Royal might just be the pick of them.
After making all the running for a wide-margin success in a Wincanton novices’ hurdle, he ran a sound race from the front before falling at the last on his handicap debut at Cheltenham.
He will be hard to catch in handicaps on right-handed tracks.

Minella Cocooner (Willie Mullins)
It’s no disgrace being beaten by a Willie Mullins novice – even when you’re a Willie Mullins novice.
That was the fate that befell Minella Cocooner at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals.
He put in a plucky display to chase home The Nice Guy in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham when he chased a strong pace.
The following month he got closer to his stablemate but ultimately had to settle for the same result.
He looks sure to do even better over fences and he is an extremely exciting novice.

Onewayortother (Toby Lawes)
Toby Lawes has been associated with one of the best chasers of recent years.
As Nicky Henderson’s assistant, he rode Altior every morning and he is making a pretty good fist of training since branching out on his own.
In Onewayorother he has a horse with the potential to make more people take notice of his talents.
He was well backed ahead of his bumper debut at Kempton last season and he didn’t let down his supporters.
The way he travelled and then quickened clear in the closing stages to beat a subsequent winner was most impressive. He’ll do well over hurdles.

Petrastar (DJ Jeffries)
This list is packed with unexposed young horses I think have got bright futures ahead of them.
Petrastar is a little bit different as he’s had a fair bit of racing but I think he’s really well handicapped.
He won his first three hurdles starts a couple of years ago but then lost his way after chancing his arm in Grade 2 novice races.
His recent second on his seasonal debut at Ludlow suggested he’s on his way back and he should be able to build on that effort.
His talented trainer should be able to find races for him in the coming months.

Rare Edition (Charlie Longsdon)
It wouldn’t be the easiest thing to work out the strength of Irish point-to-point form of horses lining up in bumpers and over hurdles.
Rare Edition certainly looked to have run well in decent points but proof in the pudding is in the eating. What he’s done since joining Charlie Longsdon makes him a very tasty prospect.
He looked good when winning a Southwell bumper in the spring and then bolted up on his hurdles debut at Worcester.
Champion jockey Brian Hughes rode him both times and was most complimentary. It’s easy to see why.

Stattler (Willie Mullins)
Willie Mullins dominated last year‘s Cheltenham Festival with ten winners.
Stattler was part of that record haul when cruising to victory in the National Hunt Chase and he could easily develop into a top-class chaser.
The Irish champion trainer has some potent Gold Cup contenders but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Stattler ended up being the best of them.
He jumps well, is a strong stayer and clearly has a lot of class. Everything you need to win the Festival’s greatest prize.