Four novice hurdlers to note for the 2023-24 Jumps season

I'm usually the one getting stick for talking about the following year's Coral Cup whilst the King Stand is being run, but the jumps obsession is something I've simply struggled to shrug.

The crowd at Racing TV have had something to say about it, but the opportunity to submit the good racing public to further National Hunt views and chat across the forthcoming season is an opportunity I simply couldn't turn down - well until my colleagues really have enough of me!

If you enjoy this and would like more of the same, do tune into the Let's Talk Racing YouTube channel at 9am on Thursdays where you'll find two overexcited racing fans - Andrew Blair White and I - talking about the latest action from their bedrooms.

Like many racing enthusiasts, I’m constantly on the lookout for the next superstar. Nothing gets my juices flowing quite like an expensive purchase, well-touted French recruit or debut bumper winner. I'm going to try and condense my lists to a handful of names for you to watch this season and for a bit of fun, I'm only allowing myself one pick from some of the sport's biggest names.

Narrowing down one name from Closutton is a near-impossible task.

As we’re all aware, Mullins' dominance at the spring festivals has largely come down to being a wonderfully gifted trainer as well as having the year-on-year support from the game's wealthiest owners. Finding the next Vautour, Douvan or Galopin Des Champs isn’t easy, but bloodstock agents Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard are two of the sharpest in the industry and both - combined with Mullins' magical eye - make for quite the formidable team.

Despite not contesting a graded race, I think BALLYBURN may have been the best bumper horse seen either side of the Irish Sea last season. He's a tall, rangey gentleman and, despite not being trained by Gordon Elliott, reminds me of Envoi Allen in his bumper days - maybe a little speedier. He's undoubtably been bought to be a three-mile chaser but I think he'll follow a similar path to Envoi Allen and find himself in the Ballymore this season.

While Mullins tends to do his shopping privately or in France, the king of the ring in Britain and Ireland is Gordon Elliott, who has acquired sold lots totalling £10.7m at public Goffs, Tattersalls and Arqana auctions since November 2021. By contrast, the figures at £5.2m for Mullins and £4.1m for Paul Nicholls.

Elliott is a short-priced favourite to come away with top lot at every prominent sale and this was no different at last year's Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, when he left with €310,000 buy BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD.

From the three-year-old store who first entered Cullentra, she's blossomed into a dual bumper winner at four, landing the valuable sales bumper at the Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse. She's uncomplicated, has a sharp turn of foot and powered through the line on both of her starts, while she is also a half-sister to Mighty Potter and French Dynamite amongst others. Brighterdaysahead is the one Gordon Elliott novice hurdler I'm most excited about this season.

Whilst trawling through every Irish bumper run last season, SLADE STEEL - a well-built five-year-old by Telescope - looks another leading light to me.

Like many of De Bromhead's, Slade Steel looked a veteran on debut and won in striking style against more experienced rivals Captain Cody and Blizzard Of Oz, who have subsequently boosted the form no end. The former won on his next start and finished a six-length sixth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, while the latter won at Cork before an agonising second in the Grade Two bumper at Aintree.

Slade Steel was held by Ballyburn at the Punchestown Festival but, as explained above, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Each season without fail, Paul Nicholls assembles a battalion of mouth-watering prospects and he's really starting to bear the fruits of his pre-training operation with Will Biddick.

Isaac Des Obeaux, Fire Flyer and Captain Teague all made lasting impressions in bumpers last season and INTHEWATERSIDE screams a typically high-class three-mile chaser of the future for this yard and I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t contesting graded races this season.

He's shown speed and this Sandown winner has course form that might have been handy for a Tolworth - until that Grade One event was moved to Aintree on Boxing Day. It's possible he might even be the one to follow Bravemansgame, Stage Star and Hermes Allen in going down the Challow Hurdle route.

SOA CARLOS won the bumper at Market Rasen on Boxing Day and has since been bought by Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason, John Hales and J Driver to stay at Olly Murphy's yard. SPIRIT OF KINSALE is another unraced youngster who's catching the eye at Warren Chase.

Last season was a mammoth one for Harry Derham in his first campaign with a licence. Il Va De Soi ran well twice in bumpers last season without winning and he’s one who could notch up a couple of wins before venturing into a higher grade.