The jockeys, horses and trainers to follow for the 2026/27 jumps season
H&H’s National Hunt racing columnist Kim Bailey finds rays of sunshine among the weather woes currently faced by jumps racing
Who on earth would want to be a National Hunt trainer with the autumn we are having? The horses are ready to go and we are all sitting here waiting for rain.
Racehorse trainers are like farmers: we always need an excuse when things aren’t going according to plan. But after such a desperately dry summer, this one is wearing rather thin. We simply haven’t had the rain and it is causing endless problems.
Meetings are being moved, others cancelled, and you have to wonder how much more some racecourses can afford to take before one goes bust. Racing hardly needs another problem. Trainers are pulling their hair out, wondering where to go next, while owners are spending fortunes on training fees and their horses cannot race. It is no fun for anybody.
Yet there is a ray of sunshine. The appetite for jump racing remains remarkably strong. Since I last wrote, the National Hunt sales have broken records, and I can guarantee this Friday’s Tattersalls sale at Cheltenham won’t be a giveaway. For all our frustrations, people still want to buy horses, and everybody still dreams of going to Cheltenham.
Even Cheltenham, however, illustrates just how difficult this autumn has been. The three days of the November meeting are due to take place on the same course used at the last meeting, rather than the one normally used. Following their well-published ground problems last spring, they have been unable to water both courses.
That gives you some idea of what clerks of the course are up against. If it is this hard for Cheltenham, spare a thought for everyone else.
Look out, Martin Pipe
Looking ahead to the season we have to feel sorry for Martin Pipe because Paul Nicholls should have gone past his record of 3,930 jumps winners by the time you read this, then Dan Skelton, who is firing in winners left, right and centre is determined to beat Martin’s record of 243 winners in a season set in 1999/2000.
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Both were thought to be impossible targets.
Dan has by far the biggest string in the country and isn’t the least bit afraid to take on anyone!
As for jockeys to follow this winter, keep an eye on Lucas Murphy, Timmy Murphy’s son (pictured top). Still only a teenager and still at school, he looks very talented.
Last year, my trainers to follow were Tom Ellis and Max Comley. This time, I’m going for the Moores. Gary Moore’s two sons, Jamie and Josh, look a formidable combination, and I think they will be very much worth following this winter.
The Moore family have contributed an extraordinary amount to racing and these two look ready to write another chapter. What a family.
Now for the horses to follow: first, Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba, who could win this year’s King George – a step up in trip could improve this horse enormously. Also, Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s Sober Glory is going novice chasing and Dan Skelton’s novice hurdler St James Finest took the eye when winning at Chepstow last week.
I’m sure we will meet him with our Hidden Mountain.
Fabulous 50
I can’t finish this article without mentioning that Mat Nicholls and I celebrated our 50th winner under our joint licence a couple of weeks ago, having shared the licence for just 18 months.
Although we only have just under 60 horses, we have the best bunch of young horses we’ve had for a long time, and it is a very exciting time for the yard. Gatineau Park has already shown himself to be a novice chaser to follow, and I’ve mentioned another of ours who might give Dan Skelton something to think about at some stage. We’re ever hopeful!
For all of us who enjoy our National Hunt racing, there is a great deal to look forward to. The sport is buzzing, even if the Government seems determined to make anything connected with racing and farming an uphill struggle.
But, like farmers, we will keep kicking on, put our heads down and be sure to come out the other end with a smile on our faces.
● Who are you looking forward to following this season? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine
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National Hunt trainer Kim Bailey has sent out more than 1,300 winners including triumphing in the Grand National with Mr Frisk, the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Master Oats and the Champion Hurdle with Alderbrook. Kim comes from a background steeped in jump racing and is absolutely passionate about the sport. Having started his career in leading jumps yards of Captain Tim Forster and Fred Rimell before starting on his own, he has a wealth of experience. He trains from a state of the art training facility at Thorndale Farm in the Cotswolds with an enthusiastic support team and an exciting selection of horses.