Horse Racing: Eight to Follow During the 2021/22 Jumps Season

by Roy Brindley, 28 October 2021

As the clocks go back on the last Sunday of October, the National Hunt season hits its full stride. One of the glories of the jump racing game is horses returning to the track year after year. National Hunt fans can easily develop a connection with the stars of the sport and follow them throughout a career that often lasts for eight years or more.

But who are the stars of the future and which horses will claim the major races during the season ahead? Here are eight horses that we believe will win plenty of races during the horse racing betting season.

Appreciate It was a superb winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021. The Arkle is his target this season. ©GettyImages

Appreciate It

Unbeaten in all four hurdle starts last season, this Willie Mullins trained gelding has already amassed £165,000 in prize money as three of those victories came in Grade 1 company.

When taking Cheltenham’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by over 20-lengths, he displayed superstar qualities. It is possible Appreciate It could develop into one of the all-time great chasers. The Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival is his season’s long-term target. Understandably he is the ante-post favorite for this contest.

Bear Ghylls

A 33/1 wide-margin winner on his 2020 debut in a National Hunt Flat Race, Bear Ghylls showed that victory was no fluke by winning his next three starts all on soft ground over hurdles.

There was no caste lost in defeat when he finished fourth in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on his final start of the 2021 season. This season trainer Nicky Martin – who only trains a handful of horses – says her star will go novice chasing.

Like his sire Arcadio, Bear Ghylls appears to relish soft and heavy ground and he looks a dour stayer. It would be a surprise if he did not chalk-up yet more victories during the season ahead.

Skytastic

Another horse hailing from a small yard, the French-bred Skytastic is a perfect two-from-two. On his debut, the Sam Thomas trained horse accounted for eleven rivals and many of those have won since.

Skytastic’s second outing – once again in a National Hunt Flat Race – was all the more impressive as he gave weight to all of his rivals yet won with authority. This year the five-year-old will go novice hurdling and he should make his mark in this sphere.

Dreams Of Home

Probably cost a pretty penny after impressively winning an Irish point-to-point, but his owners must be delighted after he won a maiden and two novice hurdles at the start of 2021.

Trainer Donald McCain is talking highly of this gelding who is now going novice chasing. From a yard that does not over-face their horses, Dreams Of Home should win plenty before being aimed at one of the big festivals.

Thyme Hill is sure to be a major force in the staying hurdle division this term. ©GettyImages

Thyme Hill

Third in the 2019 Champion Bumper, Thyme Hill has since won five of his seven hurdle starts. Finished up last season by winning the Liverpool Hurdle at the Aintree Festival.

Swerved the Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last term but that race will surely be on the agenda in 2022. Has reportedly returned to training in rude health, so is sure to be a major force in all the big staying hurdle races over the coming months.

Fable

Unlikely to develop into an outstanding champion but sure to win races and fare well during the coming season in novice chases. That assessment is based on two convincing victories in Mares Novice Hurdles in the spring.

French-bred but the winner of an Irish point-to-point, trainer Nicky Henderson is sure to map out a simple but successful campaign for Fable as she learns her trade.

Next Destination

It would normally seem bizarre to put forward a nine-year-old as a horse to follow. But it is not difficult to do given Next Destination is very lightly raced and spent almost three years on the sidelines.

Formerly with Willie Mullins in Ireland, this Grade 1 winning hurdler landed two Grade 2 novice chases before finishing second at the Cheltenham Festival last March.

His new trainer, Paul Nicholls was recently credited with saying: “He has bottomless stamina. He jumps extremely well, and he is a very classy horse who could be one for the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.”

Given such lofty ambitions, Next Destination is clearly sound and is held in very high regard. His current Grand National odds of 33/1 are very tempting.

Jonbon

Very much like billionaire owner McManus – who paid £570,000 for this horse after he won an Irish point-to-point – we are expecting big things of five-year-old Jonbon.

A full brother to the Willie Mullins-trained superstar Douvan, who was twice a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, Jonbon is now in the care of Nicky Henderson.

Winning on his rules debut in a National Hunt Flat race at Newbury in March, this impeccably bred jumper has enormous potential. Novice hurdles will be his starting point this season and the Cheltenham Festival will surely be circled on his calendar.

Major National Hunt Meetings During the 2021/22 Season