Sir AP McCoy’s Five to Follow for the 2022/23 National Hunt Season

Jonbon

I’m hoping that, by looking at him, that he’ll be a better chaser. I know a lot of people say that about novice hurdlers, or when they buy one at the sales or when they win a bumper, they don’t even know if they can jump. This lad obviously can, he was very good over hurdles – he’s a big lad, very athletic, very intelligent, very bright and watches everything he does. I do think he’s an athlete, he’s a model; he catches your eye. He’s done really well through the summer and I think he’s got lots going for him. Especially at that division of two-mile chasing, you need to be able to jump and you can gain ground if you’re quick and fast. I think he’s a slick horse. I think he could end up being really good. What his trip ends up being, who knows. Being a relation of Douvan a lot of people are expecting him to be more of a two miler, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up being a proper staying horse in time. We’ll see, but if I was a jockey I’d love to be riding him.

Capodanno

He went under the radar a bit. His early wins were quiet, and his win at Aintree was really impressive. He just looks to be progressing with every run. Willie Mullins is a genius trainer, but he’s one of those horses that, as he’s placed brilliantly well, got him loads of confidence jumping and mentally very strong. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made it up into a top, top chaser next season against the Grade 1 horses. He looks a two miler; I would hope that he’s one of those horses that Shishkin or Energumene will have to think about. I know I’ve also mentioned Ferny Hollow, but Capodanno stands a chance of being one of them as well.

Cougar

I liked Cougar at Gowran Park. He’s not bred to be a jumper, he’s by Deep Impact and out of a daughter of Maybe. He’s bred to run, but not necessarily at Cheltenham! But he did jump very well at Gowran Park. There’s a lot to like about him. He’s with the very shrewd Padraig Roche, who got Brazil to win at the Cheltenham Festival last year, so he’ll be hoping that this lad can follow in his footsteps. There’s plenty to like about him – it’s a little early to be going for a three-year-old at the moment, but I was impressed with what I saw.

Banbridge

I think it was the transition from hurdling to novice chasing that impressed me. You often see horses that do really well over hurdles and they don’t always have the same appetite or love for jumping a fence. He looked, at Gowran Park, like he loved his jumping – he was very natural at it. You think, as a hurdler, could he have got to the next level? Not so sure. Now if you look at Martin Pipe winners from the past, like Sir Des Champs or Galopin Des Champs, there have been plenty of good horses that have won for Martin Pipe and gone on to be really good horses. I just liked everything about him as a chaser at Gowran Park. I don’t think he’d have got to the next level as a hurdler, but as a chaser, he has a chance of getting to the next level.

Il Etait Temps

I really like him – I thought he ran really well at the Dublin Racing Festival. Then he went to Cheltenham and was the same. Probably his worst run was at Punchestown, but he ran in three Grade 1 novices, and he’s got a mark of 137 and there’s a lot of options for him, and a lot of damage to be done with him as well. He’s got a lot going for him, very talented, and it’s just whether he goes down the handicap route or the novice hurdle route. If he went the handicap route he could come back to novice, whatever. He’s just one that caught my eye last year and I thought ‘I must remember to watch him!’, and I didn’t remember until I had looked through them all again this morning. To get him to win at the level Willie Mullins wants him to win will be a different matter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns out to be a Grade 1 horse.