Cheltenham Festival 2026: Owen’s five to follow this Jumps season

It's the eve of the Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow, which signals the start of the Jumps season proper!

That feels like a perfect time to introduce my list of five horses to follow, with one eye on the Cheltenham Festival 2026.

Doctor Du Mesnil

Nothing gets the blood flowing at this time of year like a lightly-raced bumper horse set to go novice hurdling - especially a Willie Mullins inmate who avoided the Champion Bumper. See files marked 'Ballyburn' and 'Kopek Des Bordes'.

DOCTOR DU MESNIL is the one I'm most excited about heading into the new season.

The five-year-old son of Doctor Dino ran out an 11-length winner on debut at Cork back in April, travelling powerfully and showing a smart turn of foot at the two-furlong pole.

It was very easy on the eye, and the form is relatively strong too. The runner-up, Thedeviluno, was second to Strong Link (now a 131-rated hurdler) and Theflyingking (more on him shortly) in bumpers either side of that outing in Mallow. Jack The Lad, who finished a further 13 lengths adrift, was a £120k purchase who already clocked a Racing Post Rating of 110 on his sole start under rules.

Jody Townend was full of praise for Doctor Du Mesnil after his victory in Cork, suggesting "he will be a very good horse" if able to replicate his ability over jumps.

Because he won over 2m3f, it's easy to assume he'll be one for longer trips, but he didn't look short of speed and class to me, so I've got my eye on the Supreme (marginal preference) or the Turners.

Place De La Nation

One that did appear at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and must have every chance of doing so again 12 months later is PLACE DE LA NATION.

Willie Mullins' four-year-old daughter of Masked Marvel had only run twice - once in France and once at Fairyhouse on stable debut - before finishing fifth of 17, just four lengths off the winner Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle.

That was a serious effort from the half-brother to Quai De Bourbon and I'm pleased she was subsequently left alone, for she remains a novice going into this season.

I expect her to make a splash in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle division and will be keeping an eager eye out for that market opening.

Derryhassen Paddy

I'm a sucker for a Lucinda Russell - and Michael Scudamore as of this season - chaser in the making, and DERRYHASSEN PADDY is the latest one of interest.

The six-year-old Arctic Cosmos gelding boasted an unbeaten record going to Prestbury Park in March after following up a seven-length bumper triumph at Ayr with victories in ordinary-enough races at Uttoxeter and Windsor.

His third in the Albert Bartlett was a mighty effort that marked him as one to follow for the season ahead.

According to a recent stable tour with Russell and Scudamore, he's yet to school over fences, but that is the way he'll be going and of course it'll be staying trips.

So, keep him in mind for the Brown Advisory. He's exciting.

Theflyingking

I love an early shout for the Albert Bartlett (I know, I know) and I think Gordon Elliott's THEFLYINGKING is soaring under the radar ahead of the 2025/26 season.

A €105k buy for KTDA Racing, of Romeo Coolio fame, the five-year-old son of Jukebox Jury was regarded as one of Cullentra's top bumper prospects at the start of last season.

He wasn't seen until Boxing Day, when finishing runner-up by just under a length to Kilwaughter for Stuart Crawford. That one is now with Philip Hobbs & Johnston White and is a runner in the Persian War at Chepstow on Friday after fine runs at the Aintree (Grade 2) and Punchestown Festivals.

Theflyingking was as green as they come in Northern Ireland, racing keenly, hanging across the track and generally looking in desperate need of experience. So, his effort can be marked up, big time.

It was a similar story at Fairyhouse in the new year, as he was just touched off by Declan Queally's I'll Sort That, who beat a good type next time out by a wide margin and bolted on hurdling debut at Listowel the other week.

He eventually got off the mark at Wexford in March, beating the aforementioned Thedeviluno (11L behind Doctor Du Mesnil) in a proper battle.

Considering two-mile bumpers on decent ground was never likely to suit, he did really well last season and appeals as the type to take his form to a completely new level this term with the help of obstacles and some proper winter conditions.

Kopeck De Mee

Racing is a funny old game. Two starts ago, KOPECK DE MEE was the talk of the town. The plot job of all plot jobs for the Martin Pipe at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Today, he's a forgotten horse.

No matter how well-handicapped it may prove he was, it was always going to be extremely difficult for Willie Mullins' five-year-old to win a 24-runner handicap at the Festival on his first run on these shores following a 310-day break, so his underperformance was of no surprise to me at least.

He went some way to justifying his reputation at the Grand National meeting at Aintree, though, finishing runner-up by just a neck to Jonjo & A J O'Neill's Wellington Arch in a £42k handicap over 2m4f.

It's fair to say he caught the eye in no uncertain terms on Merseyside, making up significant ground after jumping the last. With a more prominent ride, I'm certain he'd have obliged.

A temperature ruled him out of a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse in April and he was put away thereafter. All being well, he now looks set for a campaign over fences. That was the intention last season, but a setback brought about a change of plans.

He could take high rank as a staying novice chaser this season. In fact, I don't think it's ridiculous to suggest he could be one of, if not JP McManus' leading light for the Brown Advisory, with Kawaboomga reportedly not in training at time of publication.

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