Jumpers To Follow - Mid-Season Update 2020-2021

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JUMPERS TO FOLLOW

2020-2021

PAUL FERGUSON’S

MID-SEASON UPDATE Hello and welcome to the mid-season update of Jumpers To Follow 2020-2021, which I hope will have provided you with a few winners in the early months of the season. To begin, I will take a look at the 40 Leading Prospects and the horses who feature in the Across The Sea section of the book. Following that, I have selected another seven horses from elsewhere in the book, who have impressed me when winning in the first half of the season, before nominating another eight names for the notebook. The first four finished runner-up on their respective first starts of the season (three of them in bumpers) and another quartet of bumper winners, who look capable of competing at a higher level.

Leading Prospects AJERO (Kim Bailey)

Twice a winner from three starts over hurdles, he has shown plenty of pace to win at Ludlow and Kempton, and is likely to be kept to sharp right-handed tracks. With that in mind, he could be one for the novice hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, although that is often well-contested, and from a mark of 129, it could be that he is considered for the handicap at the same two-day meeting. He wants decent ground and a strongly-run race might well suit.

APPRECIATE IT (W P Mullins)

Had little problem with the trip of 2m when winning a maiden hurdle at long odds-on at Cork, with the front two 28 lengths clear of the field. The runner-up gave the form a small boost by winning over course-and-distance recently, and although Appreciate It holds an entry in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle over the minimum trip at Leopardstown (27th), I would expect to see him over 2m4f before too long. With that in mind, he could be one for the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle in early-January.

BALLYADAM (Gordon Elliott)

Two-from-two over hurdles, he is one who could well head to the Future Champions, which looks

Jumpers To Follow 2020-2021 - Mid-Season Update

the obvious race following his victory in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse. Currently joint-favourite for the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham with the same owners’ Ferny Hollow, it is highly unlikely that they will be asked to clash at this stage, and he looks a two-miler who will appreciate getting a lead. He has jumped fluently on both starts to date and has done little wrong. Better ground might well bring about further improvement, and the third from his maiden hurdle at Down Royal (beaten 30 lengths) won at Punchestown last week.

BEAR GHYLLS (Nicky Martin)

Another who has won both starts over hurdles, he has raced keenly on both starts and just about coped with the drop back to 2m at Ffos Las last time. The second and fifth from his wide-margin bumper win at Warwick have also both twice won over hurdles, whilst the second and third from his hurdles debut have also won over hurdles (2nd successful at Cheltenham last week), so there is some substance to his form, and an opening mark of 129 looks quite appealing. Still rather immature, that might well prevent his shrewd connections from heading down that route, and Cheltenham in January has been mentioned; he would have options on both New Year’s Day and on trials day.

BOB OLINGER (Henry de Bromhead)

Another who holds an entry in the Future Champions, he came up against the aforementioned Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow on his debut over hurdles and he ran a sound race to finish

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