Jamie Snowden 2026-27 Jumps Season Stable Tour

“What really stood out for me last year was the Grade One Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival. We all know how hard Grade Ones are to win, and we all know how hard it is to win at the Cheltenham Festival, so putting the two together was a very special moment.

“In life, we’ve all got aspirations to improve ourselves and get better day to day. Here at Folly House, we’ve always tried to better our previous season, and thankfully we’ve done that over the last eight or nine years, with the last five or six being incredible.

“What’s really nice to see is that we’ve not only bettered each season for numbers of winners, but also prize money, with the strike rate to go with it. It’s a phenomenal achievement from the whole team.

“We were very strong in the novice hurdle department last year, and we’ve got a lot of those going novice chasing this season. We’ve got a good team of older horses in the likes of Ga Law, Wendigo, Git Maker and Colonel Harry, who’ve been flying the flag for us for years and are back in again, still going strong.

“We’ve invested heavily in the younger horses coming through, so hopefully we’ll be strong in the bumper department, where we had a wonderful year, and you’d like to hope the novice hurdlers will be smart as well.”

“This box has been very lucky for us over the years. Hogan’s Height won over the Grand National fences from here, Datsalrightgino won the Coral Gold Cup, and Johnny’s Jury was in this very box last year when he won the Grade One Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival.

“He’s back in again for the season ahead, looking great and having done very well over the summer, and he’ll go novice chasing this year.

“Whether we start him over three miles or perhaps two and a half, something like the John Francome at Newbury might be a nice starting point. It’s a race we won last year with Wendigo. Hopefully he can emulate him and then head to the Kauto Star at Kempton over Christmas, before, all being well, going to Cheltenham in the spring and on to Aintree.

“He’s a high-class horse and we’re very lucky to have him.”

“A Grade One Sefton winner at Aintree, he picked up a niggle that day and missed all of last season, poor chap, but he’s back in and he’s an absolute bull of a horse.

“He’s really developed, strengthened and matured, and he’ll go novice chasing this season. We’ll take it steadily, bit by bit, and have him ready for November or December, when there’s a little bit of softer ground.

“He’s got form over two miles as well as three, so he’s quite versatile. We might start him over a shorter trip and step up as and when.”

“He’s been a bit of a star for us over the years. He’s nine now, but he won the Grand Sefton last year over the Grand National fences, and he was a Grade Two winner as a novice chaser and Grade One-placed as well.

“The plan was the Grand Sefton, the Becher and then the Grand National, but they’ve put the Grand Sefton and the Becher on the same day this year, so we’ve had to choose. I’d like to step him up beyond three miles, so the Becher looks the target.

“He’s on the water treadmill at the moment, coming back from an injury as part of his pre-season training. We’re very much looking forward to having him back in the team, and hopefully the Grand National is the target at the end of the season.”

“He’s an absolute star and a bit of a legend. He won a Grade Two over fences last season and was arguably a little unlucky, certainly when third in the Grade One at Kempton, and he fell at Cheltenham.

“But he’s your archetypal second-season handicap chaser and we’re going to have an awful lot of fun with him.

“He follows a similar path to Datsalrightgino, who won the Coral Gold Cup, and hopefully he’ll head that way too. We’ll give him one prep run in either the Old Roan or the Colin Parker Intermediate at Carlisle, then head to Newbury.

“He likes a bit of softer ground. I’d expect him to have an entry in the Welsh National, and he could be one who ends up in the Grand National at the end of the season.”

“TipTopTim won a bumper, a couple of novice hurdles and a valuable race at Ludlow last year, then finished third, beaten only a couple of lengths in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury.

“Poor chap, he got a touch of colic straight after that and missed the rest of the season; the Albert Bartlett had been the plan. He’s back in looking a picture and will go three-mile novice chasing this year.

“Hopefully we’ve got an embarrassment of riches in that department. A smart horse.”

“He’s in his new box; we built these through the summer, so hopefully it can be lucky for him.

“He’s been a star over the years, winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup, a nice race at Cheltenham and a Grade Two at Wincanton in his novice chasing days.

“He’s a veteran now at ten, but he’s back in looking great, and with the veteran chase series being pretty valuable, he’ll head down that path and hopefully be very successful again.”

“A veteran now at ten, he’s rather been the bridesmaid despite winning seven races. He has been second in the Kim Muir at the Festival, second and third in the Scottish National and third in the Midlands National.

“He was unlucky again in the Scottish National this time, making a bad mistake halfway down the back that cost him plenty, and only getting beaten a couple of lengths.

“Hopefully there’s a big one waiting to happen for him this season. He’s not getting any younger, but the heart’s still there.”

“He won the EBF Final as a novice hurdler a couple of years ago, coming from the clouds, and he stays very well.

“He won over fences last year and was going to go for the National Hunt Chase at the Festival before picking up an infection in a back leg, which cost him the rest of the season.

“He’s back in looking great and might be one for the Midlands National or similar staying handicap chases.”

“He’s going to win the Paddy Power this year, all being well! He’s bred not to get much further than a mile, but he jumps fences brilliantly.

“He won a couple of novice chases the year before last, won at Chepstow last year and was touched off in the Winter Millions at Windsor, and at Cheltenham earlier last season.

“I’d like to step him up in trip this year. If he stays two and a half miles, he could be an unexposed dark horse for the Paddy Power.”

“He’s in an illustrious box, our first Festival winner box. He’s a juvenile, though not your archetypal one; he’s more of a National Hunt-bred individual with a bit of size and stamp about him.

“He ran on the Flat first time out, finished third, then won on his hurdling debut, and I like him a lot. Hopefully we’ll head to the Wensleydale at Wetherby for his debut.

“He’s certainly a chaser down the line, and having been bought by the Ga Law team, hopefully he can follow in Ga Law’s footsteps and win the Paddy Power one day.”

“A very smart mare. She won a Listed race at Newbury at the Coral Gold Cup meeting last year.

“She didn’t really come down the hill in the mares’ novice at Cheltenham, so I think she wants a flatter track. We’ll start off at Wetherby on Charlie Hall Chase day, the race You Wear It Well won a couple of years ago, and if she wins that, she could be one for the Fighting Fifth.

“Perhaps the valuable handicap at Newbury in February might be for her. A smart mare, and a flatter track may suit her better.”

“Very nice, and new to us this season. She’s a five-year-old by No Risk At All, nicely bred, and she won a point-to-point, winning last time out from two starts.

“Being five, I’d expect to start her in a bumper before going novice hurdling this season. Hopefully she can be up to graded class. A very smart filly.”

“By Maxios, he’s a bit sharp, certainly mentally sharp, but he won a bumper last year and jumps really well.

“I’d like to hope he could be a type that ends up at Newbury for the Challow, following the footsteps of Wendigo, TipTopTim and a few others. Another smart horse for the team.”

“A really smart four-year-old filly by Vadamos who bolted up in a point-to-point on her first and only start.

“It’s great to have the De La Hay family involved in the yard. She’s well bred, well put together, gets up a gallop superbly and is like a little ball of muscle.

“She’s only four, so there’s plenty of time ahead of her, but I’m quite fond of Chicks For Free.”

“Very much a dark horse. He’s only four, won a point-to-point at Punchestown pretty impressively, and is the most gorgeous stamp of a horse.

“We’ll have to be patient with him, but at this stage he looks very smart indeed, one we can all be following.

“He’s got a great mind on him, size and stamp, and he carries himself beautifully. He gets up the hill without any effort and is very athletic over a jump; it all seems to happen within his stride.”

“By Choeur Du Nord out of an unraced dam from a cracking pedigree from the family of the well-regarded stallion Cokoriko and the wonderful Grade One-winning mare Benie des Dieux.

“Cameron De Fiacre is a brother to a five-time winner and, after a year’s pre-training in Ireland, he arrived with us this spring and made a winning debut in a competitive bumper at Fontwell.

“He jumps really well and has a huge amount of potential. He’ll go novice hurdling but might start out in the Listed bumper at Cheltenham in November.”

“It’s figures that constitute success when you look back – numbers of winners, prize money, strike rate, Grade Ones, Cheltenham Festival and big-race success.

“Every year is very different, and to try to replicate last year would be phenomenally difficult, but we’re certainly striving to achieve it.

“I’ve been very lucky to work for some very good trainers in my time, many years at Seven Barrows with Nicky Henderson, and plenty of time with Paul Nicholls at Ditcheat. They’re two people I certainly look up to.

“Ultimately, you’re trying to be the best you can, and we’ll keep climbing the ladder as quickly as we can, and keep striving for success.”