Five Horses to Keep on Side for the Rest of the Jumps Season

While the dust has settled on the Cheltenham Festival, the National Hunt season is far from over. With major meetings like Punchestown and Fairyhouse still on the horizon, there is plenty of top-class racing left to enjoy on home soil.

With that in mind, we’ve picked out five horses who didn’t quite get the rub of the green recently, but who could still have a major say before the season concludes. Among them are a couple of Willie Mullins-trained runners who are certainly due a change of luck.

Karbau

All the signs were pointing to a massive run in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. Paul Townend was booked for his only handicap ride of the entire meeting, which spoke volumes. Things didn’t quite go to plan, but don’t give up on him just yet—he was desperately unlucky on the day.

Held up in the early stages, the race developed in a way that made it near impossible for hold-up horses to catch the prominent runners. Those tactics did his chances no favours, and to compound matters, he was stuck behind a wall of horses for the entire race, only finding a gap when it was far too late. He remains a horse with a big prize in him.

Jango Baie

Nicky Henderson’s gelding, who won the Arkle last season, has developed into a bona fide Gold Cup contender this term. Jango Baie was fourth in the King George but wasn’t beaten far in an extremely bunched finish, where the pace of the race probably didn’t suit him.

He needed to prove his stamina in the Gold Cup, and he definitely did so, keeping on well to finish second. While Gaelic Warrior’s career-best performance was impossible to match on the day, if Jango Baie makes the trip over for Punchestown or heads to Aintree, he will be very difficult to beat.

Final Orders

Gavin Cromwell hasn’t had the easiest of seasons by his own incredibly high standards, but he still managed to land a Cheltenham Festival winner and will have been hugely encouraged by Inothewayurthinkin’s brilliant third in the Gold Cup.

Final Orders received an excellent, patient ride from Connor Stone-Walsh to win the Cross Country Chase—a race where Cromwell remarkably saddled the first, third, and fourth. Many will fancy him for the Grand National or the Irish Grand National off the back of that performance. He clearly has a bit in hand, so keep him firmly on your radar.

Talk To The Man

Paul Nicholls’ six-year-old is distantly related to Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere. Despite failing to win a bumper, he appears to have loads of potential over hurdles. A £100,000 purchase, he won well at Taunton in February on his first start for 318 days.

A 7lb penalty made no difference at Newbury after that, where he dispatched an Irish raider with minimal fuss. While fences will surely see him to best effect next season, there could be more to come over hurdles in the short term, and a trip across the water to Punchestown or a tilt at Aintree could well be on the agenda.

Narciso Has

Willie Mullins’ Narciso Has looks like he could be something special, having made an excellent impression in his last two starts for the Closutton yard. The French import lacked a bit of sharpness when beaten on his stable debut at Fairyhouse, but he still ran a solid race to finish second.

He was much better in a Grade 2 next time out, kicking 11 lengths clear of the runner-up and always looking like the winner. He followed that up with another fine victory at the Dublin Racing Festival. A minor setback caused him to miss Cheltenham, but he would be a very strong fancy if lining up at the Punchestown Festival.