This preview is extracted from the trainer interviews in the 2009/10 National Hunt Season Guide by Graham Richards. With stable tours, horses to follow and newsletters for all major meetings through the season, it is an essential source of winners. Order your copy online today.

Novice chasers to follow, 2009/10 | Novice hurdlers to follow

Bensalem
Won an Irish Point-To-Point at Dromohane, before joining the team at Barbury Castle Stables. Following a Bumper win at Sandown Park, he won three novice hurdles before finishing second to Diamond Harry at Cheltenham in January. Having summered well, he will go Novice Chasing and is likely to start over two and a half miles, before moving up in distance. Alan considers him an exciting prospect and reports he loves soft ground.

Captain Cee Bee
Supreme Novices Hurdle winner in 2008. He is expected to do well over fences and should be back on the track in the near future following a minor hold-up. Possesses the ability to go all the way, if he can be kept injury free.

Catch Me
Just under top-class over hurdles, Catch Me made a promising start to his career over fencesat Cork in October. Handles good ground but best on soft. Stays three-miles and could emerge as a leading contender for the Sun Alliance Chase. (Fell at the last fence when looking sure to win at Navan).

Copper Bleu
Came over from Ireland, following a win at Lemonfield Point-To-Point and a Bumper at Cork. Copper Bleu ended his season returning to his homeland with a game win at Punchestown. That followed a second placing at Aintree and a fourth place in the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham. This fellow is built for chasing and will stay up to two and a half miles this season. He has summered well and Philip feels he is best round a stiff track on soft ground.

Cousin Vinny
Won the Championship Bumpers at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals. Somewhat disappointing season over hurdles but is expected to make up for it over fences this time round. Stays two and a half miles and has the ability to develop into an Arkle contender.

Crack Away Jack
Won the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. Returned to the same course to finish an honourable fourth in the 2009 Champion Hurdle. He will go chasing and is expected to take high rank. Considered best when fresh, he will have his race spaced out; his debut is eagerly awaited. (Jumped well at Sandown Park and won as easily as was expected. A return to the same course in December for the Henry VII Chase, may lead to a clash with the promising Somersby).

Definity
Irish Point-To-Point winner who won two of his three hurdle races last season. Stays threemiles and possesses a tremendous attitude to the job in hand. Should develop into a topclass novice chaser this season.

Little Josh
He won two of his four novice hurdles last year for Nigel Twiston-Davies, developing into a useful performer. However, he looks a steeplechaser in the making and will reappear on easy ground. The seven-year-old has schooled superbly and will be effective over two and a half and three miles.

Long Run
Long Run is just about the most exciting National Hunt horse in France at present. A half-brother to useful performers Liberthine and Bica, Long Run is a strong, tall, horse with a long stride. My impression having seen him run and watched his recent wins on video, is that he may lack instant acceleration but possesses endless reserves of stamina. Long Run has won over hurdles and fences at Auteuil, racking up a staggering, three-quarters of a million Euros in prize money.

Owner Robert Waley-Cohen reports, “He is something special and is the first horse to have won both the Prix Cambaceres and the Prix Maurice Gillois. In a few weeks
time, Long Run will go and join the stable of Nicky Henderson. His next race is the Feltham on Boxing Day and then hopefully the RSA at Cheltenham. We are now going on to even greater glories.”

What we know about the horse is that he stays at least two and threequarter miles, acts on soft to heavy ground and enjoys a left-handed track. Depending on how his preparation goes, it will be fascinating to see how he copes with Kempton Park.
Further down the line, his first visit to Cheltenham promises to be an equally illuminating occasion.

Mad Max
Giant of a horse. His future may be determined by the success of the most recent operation to aid his breathing. He has schooled well at home and will be ready to go first time out. If the corrective surgery has done the trick, he could be top-class. Only time will tell.

Mikael D’Haguenet
Tremendous prospect for chasing, possessing the speed for two-miles and stamina for threemiles. Highly impressive at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals he is an exciting horse with a huge future. Willie Mullins reported recently, "He had a splint problem and a cut and is only back galloping a couple of days after five weeks of walking exercise. We might well wait until Leopardstown at Christmas with him."

The hold up in his preparation may see his chasing debut delayed. Ante-post punters should remember, trainers are not adverse to staying over hurdles if a horse is considered good enough for a major target. In this fellows case, the Champion/World Hurdles.

Osana
Just under top-class over hurdles, Osana has the ability to develop into a decent chaser. Goes well fresh and has run well at Cheltenham and Aintree. Osana has joined Edward O’Grady from David Pipe and made a pleasing debut for his trainer. He jumped well and looked to blow-up approaching the second last fence. Sure to improve he looks one to follow.

Pandorama
Huge horse who has won an Irish Point-To-Point, hurdle races and this season a chase at Punchestown. Thought best going left-handed on soft ground. He will go along way if he can be kept in one piece.

Punchestowns
Improved 32lb on official ratings last season. Having won a Handicap at Cheltenham, he won a Grade One at Ascot before finishing second in the Cleeve and World Hurdles. His attentions will be turned towards the larger obstacles and he looks sure to do well. Nicky Henderson has always considered him a Steeplechaser in the making, though his optimum distance is still up for discussion. He has speed and stamina and appears to handle good through to heavy ground.

Sizing Europe
Winner of seven races, in a career interrupted by various training problems, including back trouble. His FSF master rating over hurdles was just 2lb below that of Binocular. Two races over fences have seen him display fluent jumping, while his galloping power is simply too much for the horses he has met. On his debut at Punchestown, Denis O’Reagan reported, “He jumped superbly and is one of the most natural jumpers I have ridden over fences.” Long-term, his trainer has stated the Arkle will be his Festival Target. The last eight-year-old to win that race was none other then Moscow Flyer.

His current FSF rating, albeit provisional, suggests to me he is more than capable of being competitive in the Ryanair Chase. Currently, and in my opinion unbelievably, his two chases have led to an FSF rating just 8lb behind Imperial Commander He is clearly effective over two and a half miles, as his breeding suggests he should be. Sizing Europe has registered wins on good through to heavy ground.

A winner going left and right-handed he won the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2007. Given his history, any ante-post bets are clearly risky. Nevertheless, he may have put his back problems behind him. A fine big horse, the hurdles were always too easy for him to get over. Chasing is what he is built for.

Somersby
Biding time over hurdles, Somersby made an impressive start to his chasing career at Warwick. Jumped well and ran away from the opposition from the second last. Looks an above average recruit and may run at Sandown Park in December. Trainer Henrietta Knight reports, “I’ve always loved him and he's an exciting horse.”

Sports Line
Lightly raced gelding who has won a Bumper and two Novice Hurdles. Trainer Willie Mullins reports he will be going Novice Chasing. Likely to start over two-miles, he will stay two and a half miles and looks an above average recruit.

Tataniano
Bolted up on his chase at Exeter debut and considered a natural by trainer Paul Nicholls.
Possesses a blend of speed and stamina that could take him towards the top of the novice division. Tataniano has won on good through to soft, going left and right-handed, including a win a Cheltenham.