Nicky Henderson’s superstar was the box office commodity at the start of the Jumps season and those who witnessed his marvellous display in the Tingle Creek Chase at SandownPark were left open-mouthed, as he duly annihilated his rivals with a flawless display and the Seven Barrows star continued to leave an ever-expanding fan base watching on in awe.

A facile winner of the Victor Chandler Chase in january, he was expected to face a stiff assignment against Sizing Europe in the Champion Chase, but he duly brushed him aside with disdain as he romped to a 19-length success in the Blue Riband event, before he went on to crush Ryanair Chase winner Cue Card and Irish luminary Flemenstar in another mind-boggling victory in the Melling Chase at Aintree in April.

It was Henderson’s willingness to campaign him hard that saw his stock enhance further and his win over Sizing Europe in the Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival saw him emulate the mighty Istabraq by winning at all three major spring festivals and duly cement his place as the leading jumps horse in training.

Henderson was crowned Champion National Hunt trainer for the first time since 1987 and along with the incomparable Sprinter Sacre, the Seven Barrows maestro also had the joys of lifting the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown with the battling Bobs Worth, who fought off a spirited effort from Sir Des Champs to add the coveted prize to his Hennessy Gold Cup win earlier in the season.

Another champion who yet again showed his class at the Cheltenham Festival was Hurricane Fly who returned to the top of the perch in the two-mile hurdling division, as Willie Mullins’ stable star regained the coveted crown off Rock On Ruby to win it for the second time in his illustrious career, whilst maintaining an unblemished record throughout the campaign.

Big Buck’s was absent from the Cheltenham Festival through injury, which left the door open in the three-mile division and an old Grade One stalwart of the two-mile sphere tried his hand at the extra eight furlongs and Solwhit duly delivered with a battling success over Celestial Halo in the World Hurdle to show that he could well be a rival to Paul Nicholls’ legendary stayer if he returns next year.

Ireland and Willie Mullins have certainly had a phenomenal crop of horses this season and Quevega secured her place in history by landing her fifth consecutive Mares’ Hurdle at the Prestbury Park extravaganza, whilst Champagne Fever was another who got the Emerald Isle dancing as he fought off the highly regarded My Tent Or Yours in a vintage Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Some other familiar names came to the fore yet again during the jumps season as AP McCoy was crowned champion jockey for the 18th year on the spin but there were a host of names that propelled into the limelight from the virtual unknown in a campaign full of major ups and some significant downs.

Lucy Alexander was to become the first lady rider to be crowned leading conditional jockey, as she continued her meteoric rise up the ranks, whilst a fresh-faced Brendan Powell followed in his father’s footsteps by landing a runaway success at the Cheltenham Festival on board Colin Tizzard’s Golden Chieftain to show the National Hunt jockey scene is in rude health with some talented youngsters emerging.

A new name left tabloid sub-editors licking their lips as Ryan Mania produced a peach of ride on board the Sue Smith-trained Auroras Encore to victory in the Aintree Grand National and the likeable Scot was found conveying the sport in a positive manner on a host of daytime TV shows with the Merseyside marathon proving a gargantuan success with all 40 runners and riders returning safe and sound.

However, this all rather paled into insignificance as the 2012/2013 National Hunt season will be remembered for the horrifying injuries picked up by John Thomas McNamara at the Cheltenham Festival after a crashing fall from Galaxy Rock in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup on the third day of the meeting.

A much-loved amateur around the weighing room, McNamara was expecting to hang up his silks at the end of the season following a superb career, but his accident on the Jonjo O’Neill-trained raider that saw him suffer paralysis left a sense of emptiness around Prestbury Park following the news and racing showed it was like a family as the likes of Barry Geraghty and AP McCoy showed true class as they offered their condolences to McNamara even after wins in the Gold Cup and Albert Bartlett, respectively.

The likes of Messrs Henderson, Nicholls and Mullins may have yet again dominated the big Saturday afternoon races but there were some other stars to propel into the limelight during the season and Venetia Williams notched up the most winners in one season during her career, with the winning machine Jupiter Rex following in the steps of Hunt Ball, who propelled up the ratings in terrific manner.

Harry Fry stepped out of the shadow of Paul Nicholls and showed that he could be a trainer to follow over the coming seasons as his strike rate was an impressive one, whilst Donald McCain continued to go from strength to strength as he notched up the most amount of winners, but will now be looking for a lot more Graded winners next year to try and challenge the Nicky Henderson juggernaut, who should have the likes of Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig and Bobs Worth ready to strut their stuff for the 2013/2014 campaign.

Aintree have prided themselves on introducing safety measures over the last 12 months after two horses, including 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised, suffered fatal injuries in the world’s greatest steeplechase last year, and the Merseyside venue would’ve been triumphing over the positive impact their changes made to what was still a highlight of not only National Hunt racing but of the UK sporting calendar.

Witticisms were flying in ten to the dozen in the lead-up to the race with some in the racing ranks referring to the race as a potential glorified hurdle race, but the 4m 3f 110y marathon lost none of its glitz and glamour as the 40-strong field went careering to the first fence.

The obstacles have certainly become a lot less taxing on the horses, as they are now able to brush through the top of the fences with more ease, but the view of watching these 40 equine superstars jumping round the idiosyncratic course still created a buzz around the millions that were watching the race around the world.

Going into the race all eyes had been on Katie Walsh, as her mount Seabass was backed off the boards, but as he did 12 months ago, the Ted Walsh-trained raider failed to see out the closing stages, whilst the fellow Irish raiders Colbert Station and On His Own had both failed to make it around the course after falling in the middle part of the contest.

Meanwhile at the head of affairs Nick Scholfield was gaining a real tune out of Teaforthree, but the petrol tank was plummeting in the red as a tired jump at the last handed the initiative to Ryan Mania on board Auroras Encore and the 2012 Scottish National runner-up and the pair duly sprinted clear to send the bookmakers into raptures and a new name catapulted into the newspapers.

Mania was a name only known in racing quarters, but no doubt editors across the land enjoyed compiling their punchy headings utilising the Scotsman’s surname, but his fall the following day at Hexham, where he was airlifted to hospital just brought home to the nation the ups and downs with the national hunt world.

After being discharged from hospital, Mania will have to spend some time on the sidelines, but he will desperate to be back in the plate for Auroras Encore’s next race, which looks set to be in the Scottish National at Ayr on April 20, where he tries to emulate the legendary Red Rum by notching up the Grand National and Scottish National double and he is currently around the 12/1 market in the latest betting to secure victory north of the border.

Since the turn of the century, four winners have managed to use victory in the Adonis as a springboard to Triumph glory at Prestbury Park, with Snow Drop (2000), Penzance (2005), Soldatino (2010) and Zarkandar (2011) all etching their names in both crowns, but can Saturday’s winner Irish Saint emulate that quartet and progress to Cheltenham glory?

Sent off a 5/4 favourite for the Adonis, the Paul Nicholls trained Irish Saint appeared to have it all to do turning into the straight as Ruby Walsh became more and more active in the saddle, but the Ditcheat inmate gradually got rocking and rolling in the closing stages and eventually came upsides Vasco Du Ronceray.

Driven out after a good leap at the last flight, Walsh managed to cajole him past Nicky Henderson’s raider and he won by half-a-length which forced Bet365 to cut him to 12/1 for next month’s Triumph Hurdle, but with a strong bunch of four-year-olds set to line up at Cheltenham, he will need to produce a slicker effort than Saturday’s performance.

Outpaced in the middle of the race, Walsh had looked to be fighting a losing battle, but he showed he could well be a future stayer in the making as he was producing his finest work in the latter stages, as he reeled in Vasco Du Ronceray, who is 14/1 with Bet365 for the Triumph, and asserting late on.

A strong pace from the flag fall, the Triumph could well suit Irish Saint, but it’s debatable as to whether he possesses the required speed to be victorious in the race and there could well be a whole host of more attractive betting propositions in the current ante-post market for the 2m Grade One prize.

Irish Saint’s victory at the weekend saw Bet365 slightly trim Rolling Star’s price to 9/2 as he comfortably beat him in the Triumph Hurdle Trial on Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day and Henderson’s premier challenger for the crown could well be one of the leading contenders for the race and along with Far West (4/1) and Our Conor (9/2) is one of a trio of horses who spearhead the market with just over two weeks to go.

Vasco Du Ronceray may have finished a close second, but Henderson may opt to send him down the Fred Winter route, whilst Alan King’s mare L’unique (33/1 for Triumph) lost her unbeaten tag and looks to face a difficult task in reversing the form.

A potential improver from the race is Courtesy Call, who was making her hurdling debut for Henderson after a decent career on the Flat for Mark Johnston and having travelled well until the second last flight was just outclassed by the front two, but he is sure to improve and at 25/1 in the latest betting with Bet365 could be scribed into a few notebooks.

One horse who has impressed recently is Cappa Bleu, who had his final run before Aintree at Ascot last weekend. The Evan Williams trained 11 year old ran a blinder to finish second in the Weatherbys Insurance Chase Limited Handicap over three miles and connections have now decided to send the horse straight to the National. Cappa Bleu seemed in great order as he jumped with style around Ascot before staying on well through the line to pick up a hard fought second place.

Last year, Cappa Bleu ran a great race in the Grand National to finish fourth and with that experience behind him and a fair weight to carry (10-7 – 3lbs less than 12 months ago), he has to be respected once again in 2013. The bookmakers were certainly impressed with his run at Ascot with the horse now fighting for second favouritism in some places at 12/1 behind the Willie Mullins trained Prince De Beauchene. That is high praise indeed for the horse but punters can be pretty sure he stays as he proved last year when he finished fourth and based on his current form, it would be no surprise to see him at least placed again.

Another horse who has long been touted as a potential National winner is Teaforthree but he looked well below his best recently when he faded out of contention in the Haydock National Trial. The Rebecca Curtis trained nine year old won the four mile handicap at the Cheltenham Festival last year to prove his stamina while he ran another good race at Chepstow when finishing second in the Welsh Grand National back in January. The manner in which he faded at Haydock on his last start however is a worry for punters but at the same time, he has been such a consistent horse recently that he can surely be forgiven for one bad run.

Teaforthree and Jockey AP McCoy, have built up a successful partnership over the past couple of years but the Champ is unlikely to be on board the Welsh trained horse at Aintree come April. McCoy is likely to get the leg up on Sunnyhillboy for his boss JP McManus this year instead, leaving Rebecca Curtis looking for a new partner for Teaforthree. It was Nick Scholfield who took the ride at Haydock and while he is clearly a very good jockey, he does lack the experience and class of McCoy who is of course the best in the business.

One other contender who is worthy of a mention at this stage is On His Own who made a fine return to the track at Navan to win the Boyne Hurdle ahead of his second tilt at the Grand National. The Willie Mullins trained horse fell at Bechers on the second circuit when travelling well last season and all the signs are that he is bang in form ahead of a return to Liverpool on 6th April. The horse showed plenty of class to win the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle on his first start for 10 months and as a result the bookmakers were impressed enough to cut the horse into as short as the 8/1 favourite for Aintree.

All of this comes in the wake of the news that Grand National top weight, Tidal Bay, will miss the race after picking up an injury. Even shoudler top weight, the Paul Nicholls trained runner looked well in after the handicapper had done his work but his withdrawal will now see the field shaken up ahead of the race. Plenty of horses will now be the subject of a hike in the handicap as a result of the withdrawal of Tidal Bay leaving plenty of punters left scratching their heads when trying to find the winner at this stage. There is no doubt however that the likes of Cappa Bleu and On His Own are credible contenders, they have both been treated fairly by the handicapper and both will be looking to win the race at the second attempt.

For fans of the Nicky Henderson-trained hotpot there was only one anxious moment as he pecked on landing when jumping the second last, but Barry Geraghty merely pulled his head up and the 1/5 favourite propelled clear of his Grade One rivals to win by 14 lengths and cement his place as a short odds-on jolly for the 2013 Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Paddy Power have dangled a carrot for punters and are best-priced 2/5 for the seven-year-old to land the Queen Mother on the 13th March and it already appears a foregone conclusion provided Henderson can get him there on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, with the appearance of Flemenstar the only potential fly in the ointment, but the Irish Hennessy will determine where he heads in March.

Bobs Worth’s withdrawal from the Argento Chase may have starved punters of a final chance to see the Hennessy Gold Cup winner in action before the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but there was an old stager that was shining bright, as Imperial Commander ran an absolute corker in defeat and could well now be a lively outsider for the Blue Riband event on the final day of the four-day extravaganza.

Off the racecourse for nearly two years, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ veteran showed he still oozes the class that saw him win the 2010 Gold Cup and he was slashed to a 16/1 shot for the Festival highlight and he is sure to improve for the outing.

Denis O’Regan may have nailed Imperial Commander in the shadow of the post on board the Malcolm Jefferson-trained Cape Tribulation to earn himself a 25/1 quote for the Gold Cup, but it was the runner-up on everyone’s lips following his scintillating performance and he could well be in the firing line to try and retain the coveted crown on March 15.

Nicky Henderson added to his Festival artillery as Rolling Star got the better of Irish Saint in the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial and he is now a 6/1 market leader for the four-year-old crown, whilst the progressive Katenko eased to a 12-length success in the Murphy Group Chase and could be Grand National-bound in April.

On a card that could’ve graced the Festival itself, Henderson had to settle for the runner-up position in the Cleeve Hurdle as Oscar Whisky failed to reel in Reve De Sivola in a pulsating finish to the 3m event and that pair could well meet again in the World Hurdle.

Along with Imperial Commander, Twiston-Davies had another near-miss as his previously unbeaten novice hurdler The New One was just touched off by a battling At Fishers Cross and the latter could well be a major player in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, whilst Twiston-Davies will send The New One to the Neptune. You can watch all Saturday’s races again on Channel 4′s On Demand service, worth checking out for Sprinter Sacre alone!

Winner of the Albert Bartlett in 2011 and last year’s RSA Chase, Bobs Worth was sublime in landing the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury earlier in the season, the dual Festival winner was instantly slashed into the 3/1 market leader with Paddy Power and if he can reproduce the heroics shown at the Berkshire track then he will set a very high standard, but this year’s renewal has a plethora of up-and-coming talent within the three mile chase division looking to cement their place alongside some of racing’s jumping elite.

Sir Des Champs is another who has a brace of Festival wins on his CV (Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap in 2011 and the Jewson Novices Chase in 2012), but Willie Mullins’ star lost his unblemished record when losing to Flemenstar in the John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown in December, before suffering back-to-back defeats when going down in a memorable Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.  However, many still believe he will excel over the Gold Cup distance and given his love for the Prestbury Park course, it’s not surprising that he is 5/1 second favourite for the Grade One crown.

Flemenstar (11/1) had been all the rage heading into the aforementioned Lexus, but the way he wilted in the closing stages of the 3m contest left question marks surrounding his concerning potential stamina doubts and his enigmatic trainer Peter Casey will make a decision whether to hand him the Gold Cup task following his run in the Irish Hennessy.

Henderson won’t be firing a solitary shot at the Gold Cup crown as 2011 victor Long Run will also be attempting to emulate Kauto Star by regaining the coveted silverware and he was cut to a 7/1 shot in the latest betting with after his battling success in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

After clattering the final fence, defeat was almost a certainty, but Sam Waley-Cohen managed to cajole his pride and joy back into contention and nail Captain Chris (20/1) in the dying strides, to highlight his superb stamina and with a fierce gallop likely to be set from the outset in the Gold Cup, he could well come into calculations coming up the energy-sapping Cheltenham hill, which he has shown to relish in the past.

Paul Nicholls will be aiming to etch his name back into the trophy for the first time since Kauto Star won in 2009 and he will saddle Silviniaco Conti (7/1), who has progressed immeasurably this season and his demolition of Long Run in the Betfair Chase means he has to come into the reckoning, whilst the Mouse Morris trained First Lieutenant (10/1) is another of the new brigade and adds more depth to a wide open ante-post betting list.

The Giant Bolster (20/1) ran a cracker in defeat to Synchronished in last year’s renewal and David Bridgwater has always been ebullient about his Gold Cup chances, whilst the evergreen Tidal Bay (12/1) could be a potential challenger if Nicholls opts for this assignment rather than the World Hurdle.

Peddlers Cross

After finishing runner up in the 2011 Champion Hurdle behind the brilliant Hurricane Fly, McCain decided that as part of his natural progression, Peddlers Cross would be aimed at fences the following season, with an open mind being retained as to what his ultimate career target would be. That plan has now changed!

For whatever reason Peddlers Cross simply did not take to bigger obstacles, he appeared to lose momentum each time he approached one and then lose further momentum each time he jumped over. This was totally the opposite technique to the way he tackled hurdles, over which he could be relied upon to clear without changing stride and then pick up speed the other side.

This season therefore is all about a reverse of direction and back to hurdles. The plan is likely to start him off in the 2m4f Ascot race that stablemate, Overturn won last November. All things being well, should he get back to winning ways then he will be aimed at the 3m staying races at some stage. Ultimately this will mean taking on Big Buck’s in the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but McCain has never been deterred by taking on top class opposition provided he is happy his own entry and his faith in Peddlers Cross hasn’t wavered and the prospect of a clash with Big Buck’s is a mouth-watering prospect.

Overturn

With almost £700,000 in earnings already to his name, Overturn is reported to be in rude health at home and ready to race. However, with the new novice chase structure being introduced, it has been hard to try and find the right race for him.

That said, McCain is not just going to send him anywhere and is more than happy to wait until the right opportunity comes along.

The word is that Overturn has schooled extremely well over fences and as such, remains a very exciting prospect for Novice Chases to come. It is hoped to have him primed and ready to go for either the Arkle or Jewson Novices Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Cinders And Ashes

It provided the first highlight of last season’s Cheltenham Festival when the stable’s Cinders And Ashes won the Supreme Novices Hurdle. The strategic plan now is to go back to Cheltenham for a bid to win the Champion Hurdle but in the meantime, a progress check will be mounted when he takes on the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle later in November.

McCain will recognise that until you start mixing it with the ‘big boys’, you are never quite sure what you have. The stable will know a lot more after Newcastle and future plans are flexible until he has had his first run of the new season.

Ile De Re

This six year old was a huge star for the stable during the flat season and although unable to get into the mix in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions Day, he remains an exciting prospect for hurdling this winter.

He disappointed when finishing eighth, after going off  favourite, in a handicap hurdle at Ascot at the beginning of November and it will be interesting to see where he goes next and how he performs.

If he can transfer his improvement on the flat to hurdling, then he surely has a big race within him.

Weird Al

Weird Al goes extremely when well fresh and when he makes his seasonal debut, he will certainly be one to watch, wherever that may be.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup was his main target last season but he showed enough in the Grand National (despite falling) to suggest that he should be re-directed to Aintree as his season’s main target.

His fall in the Grand National aside, his jumping has always been sound and he has proven himself in Grade One company and as such, he will remain a competitive sort wherever he runs and is one to follow.

The Donald McCain stable has grown out of all proportion since son Donald, took over from ‘Ginger’ McCain his late father a couple of years ago. A Grand National win, victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle and the Galway Hurdle plus the Northumberland Plate and Chester Cup on the flat are just some of the recent achievements  and with a stable’s array of talent growing all the time, more winners will surely be forthcoming.

Sky Sports Zoey Bird did this feature recently from McCain’s Cheshire stable, which is definitely worth watching.

Theses will complement the many who have already established themselves as top performers from the yard. Horses such as Sefton Hurdle winner, Lovcen, the highly promising hurdler, Balder Succes, Raya Star, the stable’s biggest earner last season and not forgetting Smad Place, third in the World Hurdle behind Big Buck’s at the Cheltenham festival in March.

Here are five young horses from the Alan King yard I like the look of and will be watching over the coming months.

Handazan

Second on his British debut behind a decent Paul Nicholls novice, Far West was the much vaunted Handazan, who has arrived at the King stable after achieving a Flat Rating of 98, suggesting that this three year old oozes class. King was much impressed with his debut performance behind Far West and recognised that he would improve greatly for that run, something he did when comfortably winning a Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree a couple of weeks back on his second run for the yard.

He is being pencilled in as a possible Triumph Hurdle contender and on what he has shown so far, he would have every chance of being there and is currently rated as a 33/1 chance in the race’s antepost market.

Valdez

This very smart horse was been beaten just once last season in Bumpers, that coming in the Doncaster Sales race at Newbury, where he possibly had contracted some sort of stomach bug as he ran far below that was expected. Before that defeat, he won two from two over two miles with his first win coming on Good ground at Warwick, which he won by over eight lengths. That win came last March and he followed it up with a second Bumper victory at Kempton in February, this time on Soft ground, proving that the going will have little bearing on his performance.

His first start in Novice Hurdle company came at Wincanton in October, where he went down by a 1/4 of a length when 6/5 favourite.

It is abundantly clear that there are high expectations for Valdez and improvement is sure to come now tried over obstacles and he could be the yard’s challenger the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham next March.

Vendor

A winner twice from three starts last season after joining the King stable from France, this obviously very talented four year old also finished third in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival back in March (watch on Youtube). He is clearly one earmarked for stardom in the future but whether or not he has the speed over two miles is a doubt and it would seem the yard were keen to test his stamina over 2½ miles on his seasonal debut at Aintree recently. However, he was pulled up on that occasion leaving questions to answer but he should not be written off just yet and is worth watching on his next couple of starts.

McVicar

This three year old arrived at Barbary Castle with a glowing reference from Henrietta knight who has spent a lot of time schooling him. She believes that he will make the transition from Flat Racing to Hurdles comfortably and it is suggested that he has the potential to make it through to Graded Company. It may also be worth noting that McVicar was originally trained on the flat by Mick Channon, who had originally looked after Katchit, before he too moved to King and went on to win the Champion Hurdle in 2007. If McVicar is anything near that quality then the stable have got themselves a real star in the making!

McVicar was a very good handicapper with a couple of good wins under his belt and whole string of decent performances. His debut for the yard came at Huntingdon on the 4th November where he demolished five rivals in an easy 15 length victory when the 3/10 favourite. A more satisfying introduction to National Hunt life he could not have had and is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Grumeti

Already established as one of the stable stars, Grumeti will have benefited hugely from the Summer break after a hugely promising Juvenile season.

As is well known, Grumeti avenged his defeat by Countrywide Flame in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival by winning the Grade One Matalan Anniversary Hurdle at Aintree three weeks later, where he had the John Quinn beaten by a length back in second.

Before the Cheltenham Festival, he had won twice at Grade Two level, including the Triumph Hurdle Trial in January, clearly proving that he had taken to hurdling far more readily than most. His racing career had begun on the flat as a 2 year old where he was trained by Michael Bell and campaigned in handicaps, winning twice.

King has no real reason to rush him straight back on course and has suggested that he will be kept back until the early part of December. At that time, he will be given a warm up before taking on his first target of the season, the Grade One, Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Champion Hurdle will be the longer term aim at the Festival in March.

The Old Roan Chase was the first top quality race of the new National Hunt season and was contested by a number of highly regarded chasers which included the Philip Hobbs trained Wishfull Thinking, who finished second but some 23 lengths adrift of For Non Stop and the 2011 Jewson Novice Chase winner, Noble Prince, who had made the trip from Ireland for the Paul Nolan stable. He too was left floundering finishing a distant seventh place, while Pacha Du Polder, the 4/1 joint favourite along with the For Non Stop, from the Paul Nicholls yard was pulled up before the last fence.

There was no hiding the pleasure the victory of For Non Stop gave Williams, who is likely to be seriously considering sending his runner to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November. Any longer term plans will be shelved until after his next run but it is clear that he is still progressing and has yet to finish outside of the top three in any of the five chases since falling on his Chase debut just over a year ago.

It was difficult to assess the performance of the rest other than they were well beaten by a very good chaser in the making on the day. Wishfull Thinking had attracted some support in the market but he is still far behind what was expected of him a couple of years ago leaving trainer, Philip Hobbs in a quandary as to where to run him next. There is no doubt that hopes had been high and the nine year old was expected to at least run up to the level achieved when second, seven lengths behind Champion Chaser, Finians Rainbow in the Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree back in April. That clearly was not but there is no doubt that he and the winner have triggered early season speculation as to the potential of horses such as Finians Rainbow and Sir Des Champs both highly rated and who are both major candidates to win two of the big races at the Festival. Indeed , ‘Finians’ is 7/1 to successfully defend his Champion Chaser crown, while Sir Des Champs from the Willie Mullins yard in Ireland is 6/1 antepost favourite for the Gold Cup.

For Non Stop has been quoted as a 10/1 shot in the Champions Chase and is 25/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Of course, Cheltenham use their first meeting of the season in October as a dress rehearsal for the bigger meetings that they will be hosting during the season, the major one being the Cheltenham Festival in March but the Open meeting in November and International meeting in December have both become increasingly popular in recent years.

However, Cheltenham is not the only course hosting big early season events and this weekend, Aintree opens its gates with the first important chase of the season, the Grade Two Old Roan Chase taking centre stage on Saturday. The two-day meeting hosts a total of 14 but the Old Roan, which was first run only in 2004. Since then, Kauto Star won in 2006 and Monet’s Garden made the race his own, winning three times between 2007 and 2010. Last year’s winner, Alberta’s Run, has won the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival twice and this year’s race will be sure to provide some early season pointers.

The following weekend will see the first Grade One Chase take place at Down Royal in Northern Ireland, the JN Wine Chase; won twice by Kauto Star in recent years whilst other well-known winners include, Beef Or Salmon (twice), The Listener and Florida Pearl. Whilst a quality field will be assembled for that race, another quality field will line up at Wetherby to contest the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase over 3m1f.

Like the JN Wine Chase, the Charlie Hall  is a genuine early season trial for the King George and the Cheltenham Gold Cup and has had a number of past winners who has won one or the other. Horses of the calibre of See More Business, won the Gold Cup, whilst One Man, Barton Bank, Wayward Lad, who all won the Charlie Hall twice also went on to win the King George at KemptonPark at Christmas.

The main supporting race on Saturday for the ‘Charlie Hall’ is the Grade Two John Smith Hurdle over 3m1f a race won in 2005 by the great Inglis Drever, three-time winner of the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

National Hunt meetings will also be held at Ascot the first weekend in November, with the Berkshire track hosting a Grade Three Chase and a Listed Hurdle event.

The following weekend on November 10^th at Wincanton, the Grade Two Elite Hurdle over two miles shares top billing with the Rising Stars Novices Chase over 2m5f. The Elite Hurdle is a race that has yet to produce its first Champion Hurdler, but it has seen dual winner, Celestial Halo twice placed in the Champion Hurdle. It also saw Azertyuiop win in 2001 and who in 2004 went on to become the two-mile Champion Chaser at the Cheltenham Festival.

It is back to Cheltenham of course on 16th November for the hugely popular 3 day Paddy Power Open meeting, with the feature being the prestigious Paddy Power Gold Cup on the Saturday.

The first day feature is the Sharp Novices Hurdle over two miles which has seen the likes of Cue Card, Golan Way and Moon Over Miami in its winners enclosure in recent years. Top of the supporting cast on the opening day is the first Glenfarclas Cross Country Chases over 3m7f of the season.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup which is a Grade Three handicap over 2m4f, which carries a purse of £150,000. Although usually attracting the top handicappers, the race has been won by Imperial Commander who went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It was also won by Exotic Dancer, runner-up in both the Gold Cup and King George but a multiple Grade One winner in his own right. One of the early winners of the race was Gay Trip who won twice in 1969 and 1971, where in between those years he won the Grand National at Aintree. The first ever winner of the race in 1960 was Fortria, who won again in 1962. He also won the Queen Mother Two Mile Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in back to back years of 1960 and 1961 and became one of the most popular chasers in the country and as such, the form of the race will be one to keep an eye on as the 2012/2013 season unfolds.

The third day of the Open meeting at PrestburyPark opens with the Grade Two November Novices Chase and the card includes the season’s first Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle Trial over 2m5f. It also includes the Grade 3 Open Handicap Hurdle, making the meeting pretty much unmissable for NH fans.

As always at this time of year, I’m really excited by the return of Jumps Racing and I fully intend to keep the site bang up to date with just about anything there is to discuss in the world of National Hunt.