20 Horses To Follow for the 2025/26 Jumps Season (Part 2: 11 - 20)

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Wed 08 Oct 2025 16:01

Jon Vine 08 Oct 2025

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Part two of my 20 Horses To Follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season
Last year's horses to follow won 24 races between them
Knight Of Allen, Starzand and Peso feature in the second part of our series

Charlie Deutsch riding Katate Dori clear the last to win The Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton. (Getty)

20 To Follow - Part 2

Jeune Prince - Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
Kapability - Anthony Honeyball
Katate Dori - Sam Thomas
Knight Of Allen - Jane Williams
Mossy Fen Road - Harry Derham
Peso - Jonjo & AJ O'Neill
Ryan's Rocket - Fergal O'Brien
Starzand - Philip Hobbs & Johnson White
The Good Doctor - Ben Pauling
Zertakt - Venetia Williams

Part two of my 20 Horses To Follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season, covering horses 11 through to 20.

After part one of my new series went live yesterday, here's the second and final part of my 20 To Follow for the new National Hunt season.

20 Horses To Follow 25/26 - Part 2

Jeune Prince - Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

All eyes will be on Derryhassen Paddy when Lucinda Russell's budding star sets out over fences. Another from the stable who could progress massively over the larger obstacles is JEUNE PRINCE.

Russell's six-year-old didn't show much in either of his bumper outings, and found himself outpaced on his first two hurdles starts. Jeune Prince showed much more promise when upped to two-and-a-half miles at Ayr in January, where he pushed odds-on favourite Al Kalila all the way to the line.

Patrick Wadge then guided Jeune Prince to a maiden success at Ayr in February, making all before drawing six lengths clear of Baratablet on the run to the line. This powerful son of Al Namix is exactly the type of horse that Russell excels with. I expect Jeune Prince will leave this mark of 116 far behind when he goes over fences.

Kapability - Anthony Honeyball

I'm always keen to follow mares trained by Anthony Honeyball. One of the more talented novices in his stable could be KAPABILITY, who should win plenty of races once sent over hurdles.

Honeyball's five-year-old made a lasting impression on her bumper debut at Aintree last October, where Kapability defeated a talented mare of Fergal O'Brien's in Siog Geal. Harry Cobden's mount then finished fourth in a messy renewal of the Listed Mares' Bumper at Huntingdon in December, and struggled badly on her final flat outing in the Grade Two at the Grand National Festival.

The Cheshires have had several good-quality jumpers with Honeyball in recent years. Kapability is a big, scopey mare by Authorized, and I expect her to take the transition to novice hurdling in her stride.

Katate Dori - Sam Thomas

Sam Thomas proved himself, once again, as a fantastic trainer of staying chasers last season. His flagship chaser for the upcoming campaign will be KATATE DORI, who'll surely have the Grand National on his agenda following a progressive novice campaign.

Winless in seven starts over hurdles, Katate Dori romped to a 12-length triumph on his chasing debut at Exeter. Another easy win followed at Chepstow before a narrow defeat at Wincanton, and Thomas' star went into the Cheltenham Festival on the back of a 15-length triumph in the Grade Three Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton.

Dylan Johnston's mount was one of many inconvenienced by the flag start to the Ultima Handicap Chase, and Katate Dori was pulled up well before the end. Something like the Badger Beers Trophy could be the ideal point for Thomas' rising star, before a potential tilt at the Welsh Grand National. If all goes to plan during the first half of the season, Katate Dori could be one of Britain's leading challengers at Aintree in April.

The Good Doctor running at Newbury. (Getty)

Knight Of Allen - Jane Williams

Jane Williams is excellent at helping young horses progress over fences, and I'm hoping to see her work her magic with the talented KNIGHT OF ALLEN.

Victory in a four-year-old hurdle in April 2024 meant Knight Of Allen remained a novice hurdler for the entirety of last season. David Nonnan's mount finished third on his first three starts behind talented sorts like Wade Out, Beat The Bat and Steel Ally. On his final start of the season, Knight Of Allen finally put everything together, beating Ben Solo in what turned out to be a match-race at Ffos Las.

Knight Of Allen's half-brother, Galahad Quest, reached a mark in the mid-130s over fences, and this son of Masterstroke looks to have more natural ability. Hopefully, this consistent five-year-old will take to chasing straight away.

Mossy Fen Road - Harry Derham

I loved what MOSSY FEN ROAD did on his bumper debut for Harry Derham last term, and can't wait to see this strapping son of Flemensfirth tackle hurdles this term.

Derham and Barratt Racing splashed out £75k to bring Mossy Fen Road to Britain after an impressive Irish point-to-point win. Derham's newcomer squared off against an expensive purchase of Olly Murphy's in Orderoftheday at Wetherby, but Mossy Fen Road cruised to the front on the turn into the straight and cantered to an impressive five-length victory.

Paul O'Brien's mount was too keen on lively ground on his final outing at Aintree, so that ninth-place finish is easily forgiven. Mossy Fen Road has a proper National Hunt pedigree - his half-brother Fury Road won five graded races over hurdles and fences - and I'm intrigued to see where he'll start out this autumn.

Peso - Jonjo & AJ O'Neill

A horse that I'm eager to see jump fences is PESO. AJ and Jonjo O'Neill's gelding finished third in a good Irish point-to-point before moving to Jackdaws Castle, and performed with credit when fourth behind some decent rivals on his hurdling debut at Chepstow.

Peso ran down long-time leader Koapey to score a convincing win on his second hurdles outing at Newbury. Jonjo Jnr's mount then got outpaced by Willie Mullins' Chart Topper at Wetherby, and that four-length defeat has been franked by the winner several times since.

This son of Shirocco seemed tentative over hurdles on his first start at Chepstow, but his jumping improved with each outing. I expect Peso will want at least two-and-a-half miles when he begins novice chasing. He's an enthusiastic traveller who I could see winning plenty of races in this new discipline.

Ryan's Rocket - Fergal O'Brien

Following a fourth-place finish in the Persian War, RYAN'S ROCKET returned to Chepstow the following month to make a winning chasing debut. Fergal O'Brien's seven-year-old then attempted to make all in a Limited Novices' Handicap Chase at Ascot, but was outpaced close to home by Here Comes Georgie.

Jonny Burke's mount was a little too keen and wayward with his jumping to challenge behind Jagwar on Trials Day at Cheltenham. O'Brien's charge was then backed into odds-on favouritism in a classy, small-field affair at Market Rasen on his final outing, but unseated Burke with an awkward leap at the second.

I think there's plenty more to come from Ryan's Rocket over fences and he remains unexposed over middle distances. It wouldn't surprise me if O'Brien dropped Ryan's Rocket back to hurdling at some point, to try and make the most of a lowly mark. Either way, he could be worth following.

peso hurdle — Jonjo O'Neill Jr. riding Peso clear the last to win The Coral 'Daily Rewards Shaker' 'Introductory' Hurdle at Newbury. (Getty)

Starzand - Philip Hobbs & Johnson White

Philip Hobbs and Johnson White made an excellent start to their burgeoning partnership last season and the pair have a raft of quality young horses to go to war with this term. Chief amongst them is STARZAND, who finished a close second to the useful Goraibhmaithagat in an Irish point-to-point, before recording an emphatic triumph between the flags in December.

Gwent Holdings splashed out £230k to purchase this son of Harzand at the Cheltenham sales in January. On his first start for Hobbs and White in a bumper at Ffos Las, Sean Houlihan's mount travelled all over market rival Whiskey Yankee before easing seven lengths clear.

Starzand oozed quality during that Ffos Las bumper, and I expect he'll rank highly among the British novice hurdlers this season. The Challow Hurdle looks to be a realistic target.

The Good Doctor - Ben Pauling

I usually include at least one novice chaser from Ben Pauling's stable in my Horses To Follow each season. THE GOOD DOCTOR is a little different, as he'll be embarking on his second season in the novice chasing ranks.

Ben Jones' mount ran a cracker on his chasing debut behind Skycutter last December, before an agonising defeat to The Famous Five at Newbury. The Good Doctor then flopped at Hereford on his third start in the space of a month, and didn't fare much better when last of four at Newbury in February.

Despite two disappointing performances at the start of the year, Pauling's six-year-old showed a good aptitude for chasing on his first two starts of the season. I don't think the small fields really suited The Good Doctor last term, so I wouldn't be surprised if Pauling threw his novice into open company, as he'll be able to find some valuable cover within a larger field.

Zertakt - Venetia Williams

Three times a winner over hurdles in France, ZERTAKT suffered 66 and 32 length defeats on his first couple of starts for Venetia Williams in 2024.

Following a 27-day break, Williams' recruit returned in much better form last winter. Zertakt bumped into Hasthing at Windsor in December, before a decent effort behind Inthewaterside at Newbury. A fourth-place finish in the valuable staying handicap chase at Windsor's Winter Million meeting was followed by yet another placed effort at Newbury, where Charlie Deutsch's mount was narrowly denied by the progressive Rivers Corner.

Williams' seven-year-old still looked like he had some strengthening up to do last term, but showed a good attitude and a powerful engine. Zertakt will return to action running off a lowly mark of 114 this winter, and I'd be disappointed if he didn't progress plenty during the upcoming campaign.