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The Tote Ten to Follow has returned for the 2024/25 jump season. There will be a guaranteed minimum total prize pool of £/€100,000 with prizes paid for the first 10 places. Enter the Tote Ten To Follow here.
Our experts Emma Nagle and Vincent Finegan have selected five horses each to provide you with some inspiration when selecting your stable.
A special mare who hopefully will test her credentials against the boys in the Champion Hurdle division this season. After proving herself much too good for her own sex last year, she looks a real danger to stablemate State Man, and with question marks over Constitution Hill it could be a big year for Lossiemouth.
With plenty of highly touted novices climbing into the open chasing division this year it could be the biggest test yet for Galopin Des Champs, but it will take a very special horse to dethrone the dual Gold Cup winner. Away from Punchestown, his performances last year were up there with some of the best I've seen from a staying chaser and the novices will have their work cut out to match him.
No novice hurdler could live with Ballyburn last year and it's fair to expect the same story over fences this year. It would seem obvious with the changes to the Turners Chase that he would be campaigned over the two-mile trip this year and should dominate his division again.
There were a few question marks around Teahupoo coming into last season after a few high-profile defeats at Cheltenham and Punchestown, but he proved himself by far the best of the stayers with some decisive performances when campaigned more sparingly last season. Still only a seven-year-old, he should be able to cement his crown this year.
The Martin Pipe hurdle has a proven track record in producing a top chasing chaser in waiting and Better Days Ahead could have what it takes to enhance that races reputation. Bred to jump fences and stay three-miles, he could come into his own this year in the staying novice division.
William Munny wasn’t far off the best bumper horses of last season and connections are of the opinion that he wasn’t 100% right (bloods were wrong) when finishing third in the Champion Bumper at the Punchestown Festival. He is due to begin over hurdles in November with the Supreme Novices Hurdle as his long-term target. He handles heavy ground.
El Fabiolo was beginning to look invincible over fences when running up a sequence of six straight victories after being sent chasing in December 2022. He went off the 2/9 favourite for last season’s Champion Chase at Cheltenham, but an uncharacteristic blunder at the fifth fence put pay to his chance. He again made mistakes and didn’t travel with any enthusiasm when beaten in the Celebration Chase at Sandown at the end of the campaign and it is best to put a line through that performance. If El Fabiolo returns to his best this season he has the ability to dominate the two mile chasing division.
Willie Mullins suggested Majborough as his dark horse for last season and was proved right when the gelding won the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham on only his second start for the stable. Mullins has described the four-year-old as an unusual specimen for his age: “When he came in the yard and they said he was a Triumph hope, I thought he looked more like a Gold Cup horse — he’s some beast.” It will be unusual for the Champion trainer to send a horse so young over fences, but this is probably not any ordinary horse.
Impervious was unbeaten in her first season over fences which included victories in Mares’ Chases at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals, but suffered a joint injury when preparing to return to action at the beginning of last season. After a year on the sidelines it is difficult to predict the level of ability she will display this season, but she looked a real star in the making in 2023 and it will be no surprise to see her resume where she left off.
This ex-Sir Mark Prescott trained flat performer has the potential to reach a high level over hurdles for Bill Durkan. Already twice a winner on the flat since moving to Ireland he was disappointing on his first hurdle start, when let down by his jumping at Punchestown in June, but will surely get his act together sooner rather than later. He would have a preference for decent ground which may limit his opportunities during the winter months.
An additional 25 points are awarded to winners, and 12 points are awarded to the runners-up in the 21 bonus races.
Betfair Chase (Haydock)
Coral Gold Cup (Newbury)
Tingle Creek Chase (Sandown)
King George VI Chase (Kempton)
Welsh Grand National (Chepstow)
Savills Chase (Leopardstown)
Irish Champion Hurdle (Leopardstown)
Irish Gold Cup (Leopardstown)
Betfair Hurdle (Newbury)
Arkle Chase (Cheltenham)
Champion Hurdle (Cheltenham)
Queen Mother Champion Chase (Cheltenham)
Brown Advisory Chase (formerly the RSA Chase) (Cheltenham)
Stayers’ Hurdle (Cheltenham),
Ryanair Chase (Cheltenham)
Gold Cup (Cheltenham)
Betway Bowl (Aintree)
Aintree Hurdle (Aintree)
Melling Chase (Aintree)
Liverpool Stayers’ Hurdle (Aintree)
Grand National (Aintree)
