THE Unibet Jumps Season Opener at Chepstow signalled the start of the winter jumps season with a string of top trainers having runners at that important two-day meeting. The weather this week has certainly let us know that we are due some testing conditions over the jumps in the next few days and we are not far away from The Showcase meeting at Cheltenham at the home of jump racing.

This Ten To Follow is a combination of those horses who have appeared in Grade 1s, others who are going to continue to progress in handicaps, whilst there are those you can see that will improve considerably with more experience and excitingly Marsh Wind and Saunton Surf have only run in bumpers.

There is one horse Hillcrest, trained by Henry Daly, who doesn’t appear in the Ten To Follow and who we hope to see back on a racecourse in the 2023/24 season. He is brilliant looking individual who was marked up in my Unibet blog in all his races in the 2021/22 season and sadly had to miss last season.

Enjoy what is going to be an exciting season of jump racing and hope to see you on course.

Cheers!

The Wine Tipster.

Ten To Follow

Immortal (Nicky Henderson) 
Immortal is a very good-looking individual with plenty of scope for better. His trainer, Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson started him out in the same Sandown contest as Constitution Hill and although not up to anywhere near that standard, he showed plenty of ability in finishing second to Authorized Speed, who already had experience, with the pair nicely clear of the rest. Immortal ran again at Sandown on his only other start, again finding a Gary Moore runner in Givega a bit too good, but again showed more than enough to think he’s going to be competitive in handicaps this winter with more experience.

Blenkinsop (Henry Daly)
Blenkinsop proved a revelation last year, winning four handicaps and always looking one step ahead of the handicapper. He was particularly impressive on his penultimate start at Newbury, when winning a valuable handicap with plenty in hand, as he barely came off the bridle.
It is testament to what his trainer thinks of him that he ran in the Grade 1 Sefton Hurdle at Aintree to complete the season with a midfield finish, when the ground looked more than testing enough for Blenkinsop. Fences surely await Blenkinsop this campaign, as has been the case with all the family, and there’s every chance he can do even better again.

Rightsotom (Thomas Mullins) 
Rightsotom outran his 200-1 price tag when a staying-on sixth in the Triumph Hurdle and showed that to be no fluke when again thrown into Grade 1 company, finishing a 7½l fourth to Zenta at Aintree in the Juvenile Hurdle. He then made absolutely no mistake at cramped odds at Cork on his final start of last year, jumping out and making all, with his crisp hurdling technique very much in evidence. An exciting prospect at the highest level this year, who looks like a step up in trip would be ideal and one that is a must to follow.

March Wind (Sandy Thomson) 
March Wind is a good-looking, well-built mare with plenty of size about her, and she should make a nice hurdler this season. She finished second in both of her bumpers at Wetherby and Newcastle respectively last year, showing plenty of ability but just lacking the speed to finish the job off, which is hardly a surprise given her whole pedigree screams staying trips. She’s a half-sister to Victarion, who needed 2m4f as a minimum and the dam is related to two smart 3m+ chasers. March Wind can run up a sequence in Northern novice hurdles over 2m4f+ this season and she’s in the right hands to do so.

Saunton Surf  (Warren Greatrex)
Saunton Surf won a point-to-point at Maisemore Park in March and then followed up in a Point-to-Point bumper at Aintree in May in impressive style when a winning favourite.  This four-year-old filly travelled smoothly throughout and there was lots to like about her attitude as she moved away in speedy fashion to win by six lengths. Since then, Saunton Surf has been sold to join the Warren Greatrex yard and has to be an exciting prospect for the season ahead.

Chianti Classico (Kim Bailey)
Chianti Classico was in my tracker last season as he notched up a three-timer on his first three hurdling starts at Chepstow, Market Rasen and Wincanton respectively, when favourite or second favourite. On the third occasion he won well on handicap debut and then was stepped up in trip and class when aimed at the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett at The Festival, when he was marked up in my Unibet blog each way at a big price. Chianti Classico couldn’t hold his own in that field on that occasion, however he showed at the Unibet Jump Season Opener at Chepstow , when winning on chasing debut with a superb round of jumping, that he has a very bright future over fences.

Giovinco (Lucinda Russell)
Giovinco was an emphatic victor in a listed novice at Perth back in April when beating a good field, including runner-up Hurricane Boy by 12 lengths as easily as you like after taking over the lead at the last. On that occasion Giovinco was the 10/1 outsider in a field of six on his first start over three miles after having won novices at Ayr and Carlisle easily at odds-on.
This six-year-old has been given a mark of 143 and is sure to go on improving for a yard who look set to have a very strong campaign.

Pied Piper (Gordon Elliott) 
Pied Piper In some ways might be a strange one to have in your Ten to Follow, given that some will say this five-year-old is fully exposed now, yet his second in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last weekend showed there is more to come on the flat coupled with surely a big handicap or two to be won over the jumps with him this season. Last season Pied Piper made a small mistake at the last in the County Hurdle and he probably would have won that with a smoother jump. He clearly enjoys the hurly-burly of a big field and it is likely that this season all roads will lead back there this time, although he is currently Unibet 50/1 for the Unibet Champion Hurdle. Pied Piper has plenty to go for, as he looks the sort that will be good at giving weight away to inferiors, though he could easily step up a level and continue to improve. He has a really good attitude; a high cruising speed and his normally slick jumping will see him win races.

Hercules Morse (Ben Pauling)
Hercules Morse really caught the eye when making all to win at Ffos Las back in January, when jumping well and moving away smoothly at the finish to beat Uncle Bert in good style.
There was plenty to like about the way he had come on from his previous appearance, also at the same course, when travelling well for a long way before fading away to finish fifth.
Interestingly, Hercules Morse was declared to run at Ludlow in April, however he was taken out due to the quick ground. Hercules Morse still lacks for experience, having had only three career starts and this imposing individual by Blue Bresil is an exciting prospect for the season ahead.

Stay Away Fay (Paul Nicholls)
Stay Away Fay looked a real stayer on novice hurdle debut over 2m4f at Newbury in November when coming from some way back to claim the prize on the run-in and was never stronger than at the finish. At that stage you were doing well to point him out as a potential Albert Bartlett winner, yet he won at The Festival at 18/1 with a battling display from the front, and despite a bit of idling late on, he always had matters in hand late in a deep Grade 1.
Stay Away Fay then went to Aintree to try and complete the novice hurdle Grade 1 double on his final start of the season, which was a challenge, although his fourth was by no means a bad effort in a hot race. This season it’ll be about fences, which he looks made for and is definitely an exciting prospect, who looks likely to start his campaign at the Haldon Gold Cup meeting at Exeter.