Tom O'Ryan's top ten jumpers to follow this season (From Gazette & Herald)

Tom O'Ryan's top ten jumpers to follow this season

4:22pm Wednesday 18th November 2009

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IT’S that time of year again. The Flat turf season has been put to bed and the jumping campaign is in full flight. No better time to look closely at local stables and come up with some tasty prospects for this winter’s ‘Ten To Follow’…

1 Character Building (John Quinn)

LAST season produced one mighty high and one disappointing for Character Building and his connections.

The high came at the Cheltenham Festival in March when he memorably won the Kim Muir Challenge Cup Chase. The low came a couple of weeks later, when a training setback put him out of the reckoning for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree for which he was one of the favourites.

A talented horse and a five-times winner, Character Building may well add to his achievements this season. Entered in the Hennessy Gold Cup, a race he has run well in in the past, the nine-year-old is likely to have the Grand National among his principal objectives. Given a clean shot at the season, he could well develop into a leading Aintree contender, just as he was last season before the fickle hand of fate delivered him a knockout blow on the final run up to the Grand National.

2 Eastern Supreme (Peter Niven)

ONE run, one win is the record of Eastern Supreme, who made an excellent impression in a bumper at Market Rasen at the end of September.

Partnered by Graham Lee, and well supported in the market, he made no mistake, winning by almost five lengths. A well-grown, scopey gelding, Eastern Supreme looks a decent prospect. A son of Norwich, he is out of a Supreme Leader mare, which suggests that, whatever he does in National Hunt Flat races, he will make up into an even better horse over obstacles.

3 Hello Nod (Julie Camacho)

ALREADY a winner this season, at Kelso last month when he provided James Halliday with his final victory as a 7lb claimer, Hello Nod has since finished a respectable fourth at Bangor.

He should continue to pay his way in handicap company over hurdles and may also be worth another try over fences. Although twice a faller in three starts in chases last season, he did look a little unlucky and also showed plenty of promise until exiting, each time late in the day. Opportunity should come knocking for him again one of these days.

4 King In Waiting (James Hetherton)

THERE is much to like about the way King In Waiting has set off his hurdling campaign this season. At Newcastle, he ran out a brave winner, holding on gamely to beat Grazeon Gold Blend after the pair had drawn 10 lengths clear of the remainder.

The value of that form came under the microscope at Wetherby last Saturday when King In Waiting ran in handicap company and performed admirably to chase home the useful Fushe Jo, a horse who was in his element on the soft ground.

There was certainly no disgrace in that defeat and it will be surprising if further winning opportunities can not be found for King In Waiting.

5 Lease Lend (Tim Easterby)

NOT for the first time, Lease Lend has appeared in this annual list of horses to follow. Useful in bumpers, he then paid his way over hurdles and now he is developing into a solid steeplechaser.

Runner-up in his first two outings over fences this season, Lease Lend made it third-time-lucky in grand style at Newcastle last Friday when he was dropped back to two miles. He’s a likable horse, still only six-years-old, and with the scope to win more races in handicap company.

6 Mac Aeda (Malcolm Jefferson)

FROM a stable which has a fine cross-section of talent right across the board, Mac Aida appeals as a horse with a bright future.

Home-bred by his trainer, the gelding has seen a racecourse only once in public, at Market Rasen in May, when he made a sizeable impact. Sent off the 9-4 favourite, presumably on the strength of a tall home reputation, he toyed with his opponents and came home a very comfortable winner of a bumper.

A well-grown son of Kayf Tara, Mac Aeda is unlikely to be rushed by his patient handler, but there is every chance that he can develop into a high-class performer, particularly over hurdles in the longer-term.

7 Red Onion (Richard Fahey)

THREE runs in bumpers last season failed to bring a win for Red Onion, but he showed bags of promise on each occasion, while still looking like the unfinished article.

More mature this time around, the Malton gelding made his seasonal reappearance at Market Rasen last Sunday and ran a thoroughly solid race to chase home the speedier Charlie Tipple on his hurdling debut.

That race was over slightly more than two miles and a step up to two and a half miles should bring about further improvement in Red Onion. It will be a surprise if he fails to win a race or two.

8 Sea Venture (Tim Walford)

A strong recommendation of a check-up from the neck-up would normally suffice for anyone who thought of selecting a horse for this list with a career record of 19 starts and no wins. I am, though, prepared to give Sea Venture the benefit of the doubt. It’s only relatively recently that he has joined Tim Walford and, in two runs for his new handler, he has performed like a reformed animal. Third at Carlisle, he then went to Southwell and was beaten only a whisker by the in-form Simple Jim, again in a handicap hurdle.

If current progression can be maintained Sea Venture can surely get his head in front. Better late than never.

9 Sheepclose (Mick Easterby)

Nominating this horse could easily lead to accusations of ‘after-timing’.

The four-year-old made his debut last week at Sedgefield and, after attracting support in the market, ran out a convincing two lengths winner from the odds-on Knockaveen in a bumper.

A son of Beneficial, Sheepclose looks a decent recruit on the evidence of that single effort and, in the right hands to further his career, he should continue to thrive in National Hunt flat races before his attentions are turned to jumping, which should bring him firmly into his own.

10 Simonside (Brian Ellison)

Judge Simonside on his latest unplaced run at Carlisle and you may not be convinced about his prospects as a future winner over hurdles. There were, though, mitigating circumstances in Cumbria, not least the very testing ground, which may not have suited this three-times winner.

A 70-rated Flat handicapper and a Carlisle winner during the summer, Simonside, who had started his career by winning a Market Rasen bumper in September 2007, remains a horse of some potential as a hurdler. He’s no star, but he should be able to rack-up a win or two this winter.

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