Nick Luck is joined by Ruby Walsh, Lydia Hislop, Jane Mangan and Josh Stacey for the Racing TV Jump Season Preview 2026/27.
From the established stars to the new names worth following, the panel look ahead to the stories set to shape the winter season on the road to Cheltenham and Aintree. Watch the full show on the Racing TV YouTube channel on Monday 19 October at 6pm. Our panel discuss Harry Cobden’s new role riding for J P McManus, Gaelic Warrior’s biggest threat, as well as nailing down long-range predictions for winners of the big races throughout the season, including the Challow Hurdle, Fighting Fifth, Welsh Grand National, Thyestes, King George VI Chase, Gold Cup and more. Plus Josh Stacey has dreamt the result of the 2027 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase!
The rise of Dan Skelton is also a hot topic of conversation, with Josh Stacey saying: “I'm quite excited that Dan might have a yard that can really rival [Willie Mullins], especially on those big weeks, the Grand Nationals and the Cheltenham Festivals.
"In a world where Willie has gone to the Festival and hit ten winners in one single year. - that's dominance, and now having two big powerhouses, and I'm not discounting Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott, but I'm excited at a real challenger for Willie's dominance and I don't think we've had that for a while.
“I really think that Dan could be top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival this year.
“He’s spent more than five-million at public sales in one year and over in Ireland he's just as competitive.
“He’s spending similar figures, if not more on individual horses, and then the big thing and the reason why I think he could possibly be top trainer at the Festival this year is the handicaps – he’ll be thinking about it now.”
Lydia Hislop shares a strong view on the domination of the powerhouse stables, adding: “I think racing is going to need some form of financial fair play that works for horse racing.
“I just think that sport relies on competition and it's difficult to have restraint of trade, but when sport is so reliant on competition [and] jump racing is much more localised [than the Flat], and you'll get to the point where certain stables have all the sweets, all the best horses, all the best young riders coming through, even all the best work riders.
“Everything stacks up and it becomes more and more difficult for any competition to exist. For the sport’s perspective I think that’s really difficult.”
The debate doesn't stop there, our team discuss the most under-appreciated and over-appreciated horses in Jumps racing history, their favourite race days and courses on the calendar outside of the Festival, and pit their wits against each other in a Jumps racing quiz to end the show.
Don't forget to tune into the Racing TV YouTube channel on Monday at 6.00pm to watch all the debate and analysis.
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