Pretender could be the real deal

20 jumpers to follow

ALBERTAS RUN (trained by Jonjo O’Neill): Enjoyed a fine season as a novice chaser, winning the Royal and SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham. Will not find things easy in handicap chases this time round, but has a superb wins to runs ratio, suggesting he need only improve a little to trouble the very best over fences

BAKBENSCHER (Alan King): Won two of his three bumpers last season and ready to embark on a hurdling campaign for his powerful yard. The grey son of Bob Back should be ready to run soon and is expected to take high rank.

BIG FELLA THANKS (Paul Nicholls): Won twice and finished second in his three novices hurdles last season, but will be an even better proposition when switched to fences. Quite high in the pecking order at Ditcheat, he will take a lot of beating on his chasing debut.

CALGARY BAY (Henrietta Knight): Strapping gelding who beat the high-class Snap Tie over hurdles last term. Chasing was always going to be this fellow’s forte and it is interesting that the trainer reckons he is one of the best prospects she has had in the stable since Best Mate.

DEE EE WILLIAMS (Nick Gifford): Won a Fontwell bumper before running into a well-regarded Nicky Henderson horse in a similar event at Kempton last season. Travelled like a good horse when winning on his hurdling debut at Cheltenham recently and has the scope to go on progressing.

DIAMOND HARRY (Nick Williams): Won both his bumpers and made a successful hurdling debut at Uttoxeter earlier this month. Seriously talented, this tall gelding runs at Cheltenham next and it would be no surprise to see him return there for the Festival in March.

PLANET OF SOUND (Philip Hobbs): Showed plenty of ability as a novice hurdler, but chasing should be the making of him this winter as he is a scopey sort who seems to act on any surface.

LINDEMAN (Nicky Henderson): From the same family as Denman, this rangy mare overcame greenness to win a bumper on her racecourse debut at Cheltenham last spring. She will be seen to even better effect over hurdles and is just the type her trainer excels with.

MAD MAX (Nicky Henderson): Huge individual who won both his bumpers at Newbury last season. Chasing will be his game in the long term, but it will be a major surprise if he does not win his fair share of novice hurdles along the way.

MOON OVER MIAMI (Charlie Mann): Extremely capable but inconsistent performer over hurdles and fences. Well handicapped over the bigger obstacles and although you can never be sure he will put his best foot forward, his inconsistency guarantees his followers a decent price when he does click.

OSANA (David Pipe): Never got the credit he deserved last season, despite finishing second to Katchit in the Champion Hurdle. A tall, slick-jumping type, Osana looks a top-notch chasing prospect, but will remain a force to be reckoned with if kept to hurdling.

RIPPLING RING (Paul Nicholls): Ex-South African Flat racer who made a winning hurdling debut at Doncaster before finishing fifth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Starts the season on a lenient handicap rating of 136, a mark he could well exploit if lining up at Aintree on Saturday.

SHOREACRES (Brendan Powell): Produced a fine performance to finish fourth to Cousin Vinny in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and is now set to embark on a hurdling campaign. It is not hard to envisage a return to Cheltenham in March.

SON OF FLICKA (Donald McCain): A rare Newbury winner for his trainer last season, Son Of Flicka translated that bumper form to hurdles at Kelso recently when second to a well-regarded Howard Johnson novice. Not the biggest, this son of Groom Dancer may be best on a sound surface.

STRIKING ARTICLE (Howard Johnson): Highly rated last season, but never reached the heights expected. Jumped well on his chasing debut at Hexham, however, and could yet fulfil the high hopes of his connections.

THE OLD PRETENDER (Carl Llewellyn): Revelled in the mud when bolting up on his debut in a Huntingdon bumper, but not the same force on faster ground behind Mad Max at Newbury. Comes from a decent jumping family and is very much one to follow on soft ground over hurdles.

THE POLOMOCHE (Nicky Henderson): Scrambled home in a two novice hurdles last season, but is rated much better than he has shown by his trainer. Could be well handicapped and Newbury’s Totesport Trophy, a race Henderson excels in, could be the target.

TIDAL BAY (Howard Johnson): Last season’s leading novice chaser over two miles, Tidal Bay also possesses a fair degree of stamina and is clearly a dangerous rival for Denman, Kauto Star and the rest if allowed to take his chance in this season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. Could first go for the King George at Kempton, a race in which he would be a major player.

UFFA FOX (Ben De Haan): Floored some well-regarded rivals when winning a Grade 2 bumper at Ascot last December, but sickness curtailed his season and he was given a long summer break. Capable of causing a surprise or two in decent novice hurdles this winter.

WEIRD AL (Ian Williams): Transferred from Venetia Williams’ yard after finishing second on his only start in an Exeter bumper, this strapping sort may have one more NH flat race before going hurdling for his shrewd stable.