Winless Ones To Watch: five more Jumps horses to follow

Trainer: Joe Tizzard.

Conditions: Mares Novice Hurdles over two to two-and-a-half miles.

Despite not winning in two bumper starts, Fairy Park looks like a mare who can become graded class over hurdles.

An emphatic winner of an Irish point-to-point at Dromahane in April 2025, the form of that hasn’t amounted to much, but it visually a very impressive performance.

Now in the care of Joe Tizzard in the Brocade Racing colours, her new trainer was very complimentary about her before she was seen on a racecourse. Describing her as a “big upstanding mare with a huge stride”, he noted that he hoped she could get some black type in bumpers while also acknowledging that “she will be a lovely novice for next season”.

She made her rules debut at Newbury against some more experienced rivals, but she acquitted herself really well: travelling smoothly (if a little keenly) but just unable to get past the front-running Princess Day, pulling well clear of recent listed winner, Malina Road.

After that very encouraging rules debut, she was sent off  at just 9/1 for the Nickel Coin at Aintree – with Princess Day the 2/1 favourite. The latter was disappointing on the day but Fairy Park, yet again, ran a very encouraging race without winning. Having raced towards the rear for the majority of the race, she came widest of all turning in and kept responding for pressure into a never nearer third, only beaten two and a quarter lengths.

By Walk In The Park out of a half-sister to Bellshill, she has the pedigree and the physique to make a lovely hurdler. She’s shown enough speed to suggest starting over two miles won’t be an issue. 

Trainer: Gordon Elliott.

Conditions: Novice Hurdles, starting over two miles.

There may not be any bumper horse in Ireland from last season with stronger form that also failed to win in multiple starts. Frustrating for connections, but fortunate for me and this column.

Premier Division made his debut in the Willie Elliott Memorial Bumper at Fairyhouse; a race run in honour of Gordon’s uncle and, unsurprisingly, he tends to target it with his better bumper horses. Gordon ran three and it was Premier Division, under Patrick Mullins, who went off the well supported 11/10 favourite.

Ridden in midfield, he turned in going best of all as the tempo began to lift inside the final two furlongs. However, he was notably green under pressure, hanging left handed and unable to reel in his stablemates. The Gigginstown pair, Keep Him Company and Generous Risk, had point-to-point experience, were ridden more prominently and both franked the form; the former winning again before being sent off favourite for the Champion Bumper while the runner-up is now rated 136 over hurdles.

Next seen over Christmas, he again travelled powerfully through the race and mounted his challenge as the field approached the final furlong. There were still signs of inexperience under pressure, albeit not quite as drastic as on debut, but he found Cityofblindinlites and The Mourne Rambler too strong with Harry Swan not being overly hard on him once his winning chance was gone. The fourth and fifth won next time out while The Mourne Rambler went on to win the Champion Bumper.

It would be over four months before we saw him again, and that would be at the Punchestown Festival over two miles and three furlongs. Having, yet again, travelled powerfully into the race, he traded at 1.01 having hit the front inside the final furlong before the experienced and dour stayer Largy Star got back up close home. Perhaps it was a combination of the absence, the extended trip and his inexperience. 

It is a slight concern that he’s traded quite short in-running on three occasions, but there are viable excuses for each of those instances. What we can safely say is that his bumper form reads very well, and unlike many of Gordon’s bumper horses, he lacked prior experience and was clearly a work in progress. If translating that form to hurdling, he’s one to note. He could be more of a spring handicap type rather than a Graded horse.

Trainer: Dan Skelton.

Conditions: Handicap Hurdles/Chases over two miles.

A horse that felt like a work in progress throughout the entirety of last season, Quaviste is still very lightly-raced and it is hoped that he will begin to deliver on the promise he’s shown sooner rather than later.

A bumper winner two seasons ago (and only 11/1 for the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree, where he reportedly choked before subsequently having wind surgery), his novice hurdle campaign didn’t start brilliantly, as he finished a distant eighth at Stratford when the 7/4 favourite; it was in late October and a lot of Dan Skelton’s novices were improving significantly for their first run at this time.

Two runs at Market Rasen followed: unseating behind Brixson when a few lengths down at the last, before a respectable second where he split two last time out winners in Japetus (124) and Four Springs (118). He would then make his handicap debut just fifteen days later at Kempton from a mark of 113. While he only finished fifth of eight, it was a bunched finish and he was held up while never getting the clearest of runs. 

The handicap debut led many to believe he was a handicap winner in waiting. He was set a tougher assignment for his next and final start of the season: the Morebattle at Kelso, a more undulating track than he’d encountered and significantly deeper company. Held-up in last, Harry Skelton switched in out wide on the approach to three out where he began to make eye-catching and consistent progress to mount a challenge on the run to the last. Ultimately, he faded into fourth but I feel the energy he expended to get into that position from off the pace likely compromised his finishing effort.

Still only rated 113, he shapes like he is capable of much better. I expect him to make a better chaser – and he would be of significant interest in handicap chase company given his relatively lowly mark.

Trainer: Olly Murphy.

Conditions: Handicaps over three miles.

Still very lightly-raced under rules, Burncourt Boy should be capable of making an impact in handicaps this season.

A winner of an Irish point-to-point on his third start, he was sold for £48,000 at the Cheltenham April sale thereafter. He made his rules debut at Carlisle over two and a half miles in November; it turned out to be a strong race, with the front five pulling nicely clear of the remainder. Burncourt Boy travelled nicely and mounted a strong-looking challenge turning in, before ultimately tiring after the last into fifth – not beaten far, but shaping as if he’d improve for the run. The form of that race has worked out quite well: Tormund Giantsbane (winner) is now rated 136, while the second and fourth are rated 133 and 132 respectively. 

He disappointed at Newbury when next seen in another competitive race, before getting back on track over the Christmas period at Kelso. Over an extended two miles and six furlongs, he travelled well into contention before proving no match for the impressive Country Code, who is now rated 135 having finished second in the River Don on his next start. He was giving seven pounds to Burncourt Boy, as was the third Tashkhan (126) but it was still an encouraging performance.

Burncourt Boy has an opening mark of 114 and, given how he shaped on two of his three starts over hurdles, he’s shown more than enough to suggest he can be very competitive from that mark. He seems to appreciate better ground, and should have no problem staying three miles.

Trainer: Paul Nicholls.

Conditions: Handicap Chases, eventually over three miles.

An archetypal chaser, Grand Garcon has always looked a type that would need time and fences before we saw the best of him. Hopefully, this will be the season he shows what he’s capable of.

He finished second on his bumper and rules debut at Chepstow two seasons ago, looking very green in the process. His hurdling debut also came at Chepstow over two miles which was always going to prove on the sharp side. Still green (he ran around notably on the run to the first hurdle), he went through the race well but lacked the necessary turn of foot to ever be competitive, finishing a distant third behind the impressive Sober Glory. Kadastral (125) and Matty’s Getaway (133) finished second and fourth, so it was a strong race.

His next assignment came at Newbury over an intermediate trip. Paul Nicholls said before the race that he would “come on for his last run massively – mentally and physically”. Unfortunately, he struggled before pulling up although he would have wind surgery thereafter, suggesting there was more to it than just a poor performance.

He reappeared 111 days later, over the same course and distance as his previous start, sporting a first time tongue-tie. Just like every start over hurdles to date, he found himself against a high-calibre of opposition, and yet this time he finished a very creditable fourth. When you consider the front three were Le Frimeur (150), Came From Nowhere (133) and Doujadou (129) with the now 119-rated Mr Finch back in fifth, combined with the circumstances of his absence, this has to be considered a promising effort. Harry Cobden did not give him a hard time, allowing him to finish off his race strongly, which is always encouraging after wind surgery.

Grand Garcon will begin the season on a very workable mark of 112. He’s still learning, but there should be a lot of improvement to come over fences and when he steps up to three miles. I could envisage him starting over an intermediate trip on a galloping track, but he looks a thorough stayer.