'Certainly capable of winning at the top level' - nine to keep onside in 2022

Discoveries

The Jessica Harrington-trained Discoveries seems to be the forgotten filly of the division. She is a sister to multiple Group 1-winning miler Alpha Centauri and a half-sister to Alpine Star and, having won the Moyglare in September, achieved more than they did as juveniles.

If she goes on to show the same sort of improvement as that pair did at the age of three, it will take a very good filly to lower her colours.

Harrington didn't manage to get either Alpha Centauri or Alpine Star to the 1,000 Guineas, but it could be the plan for Discoveries and she could win it if turning up.
Paul Kealy, tipster

Native Trail

Not very original as he's the favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, but he has remained at Charlie Appleby's Moulton Paddocks base in Newmarket over winter to prepare for a tilt at the first Classic of the season.

The unbeaten son of Oasis Dream is a beast of a specimen and showed he handled the undulations of the Rowley Mile when landing the Dewhurst in October

That was no surprise as he came from the breeze up sales that were staged on the adjoining working grounds last spring and he is set to head back there for his Classic prep in the Group 3 Craven Stakes in April.
David Milnes, Newmarket correspondent

Elle Est Belle

If there is one horse who didn’t fulfil her potential in 2021, it is the Dan Skelton-trained Elle Est Belle.

She won only one race, albeit in impressive fashion, at Newbury in November and put in a string of other efforts that suggested she is top class.

She was set an impossible task from the rear in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and made relentless ground to finish third. Then, at Aintree next time, she finished a close second after again being set a lot to do.

Elle Est Belle: tipped to shine at the top level by Graeme RodwayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Last time at Ascot she was completely undone by a lack of pace but still caught the eye running on strongly for fourth behind Jonbon.

Elle Est Belle will improve significantly when getting either a strongly run race over two miles, or a step up to two and a half. She will almost certainly be capable of winning at the top level under either scenario.
Graeme Rodway, deputy betting editor

Moonlight Spirit

This Group 2-placed Flat horse was a high-profile £75,000 purchase for Jimmy Moffatt in May and he can take a fairly high rank in the novice hurdle division on the back of a debut success at Carlisle in December.

Moonlight Spirit is a brother to fellow ex-Godolphin 132-rated stablemate Alqamar and was good value for his three-length win, particularly as he raced quite freely.

Stiffer tasks will await down the line but this talented five-year-old should prove a fine flagbearer for the Cumbria stable.
Jack Haynes, reporter

Ahoy Senor

Definitely not one to give up on after he was put in his place by Bravemansgame in the Kauto Star at Kempton when his jumping lacked the fluency of the impressive winner.

That can be worked on, though, and the engine is certainly there as evidenced by last year's Grade 1 novice hurdle win and his Grade 2 novice chase success at Newbury in November.

Ahoy Senor: not to be discounted despite defeat to Bravemansgame over ChristmasCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

He looks better going left-handed and granted a proper stamina test, so the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival should be right up his street, and he could develop into something special for Lucinda Russell next season.
Andrew Dietz, reporter

Elsals

Went straight in the notebook when finishing third on his debut at York in October. Pause that race after a furlong and he had one runner behind him, the front three at that same point would fill first, second and fourth.

Elsals was purchased for 140,000gns at the Tattersalls horses-in-training sales later that month out of Richard Hannon’s yard as part of the Shadwell dispersal. He has plenty of size about him, looking the type to make up into a solid three-year-old.

Now with Kevin Philippart de Foy, that can keep him under the radar with a lesser known but rapidly up-and-coming trainer. His grand-dam English Ballet was placed in the Fillies’ Mile and is a half-sister to King Of Comedy amongst others.

At this stage the son of Havana Gold is still a blank canvas, but it would be no surprise to see him make up into a Saturday horse over a mile in 2022 given his pedigree.
Matt Newman, tipster

Orbys Legend

I will keep a close eye on Orbys Legend throughout 2022. He has been a cracking horse for Philip Hobbs and his team already but there could be even more to come.

He began this season with a bang when landing the Silver Trophy at Chepstow before appearing not to stay in the Betfair Exchange Stayers' Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.

Orbys Legend: has won four of his six starts over hurdlesCredit: Steve Davies

That was his first time tackling three miles and he proved stamina was no issue when getting back to winning ways in what was admittedly a weaker affair in a Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton on Monday.

Orbys Legend has raced just seven times under rules and has won four of his six starts over hurdles. There could be a big pot in him this season and, being a former point winner, one can only assume he'll be better again once he scales a fence.
Brian Sheerin, reporter

O'Toole

This five-year-old was purchased by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede after landing a Fairyhouse bumper by 15 lengths on his debut in February.

O'Toole duly stepped up on that effort on his second start when splitting the two best bumper horses of last season, Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard, in a Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown festival. The pair were much more experienced than he was and the effort can be marked up.

With form that strong he was entitled to win his maiden hurdle at odds of 4-9 on his first run in that sphere on Boxing Day and he did so in comfortable fashion at Down Royal.

He is a strong stayer at around two miles and is open to great improvement when upped in trip. Trainer Stuart Crawford sees him as a future Gold Cup horse and 2022 could be a big year for O'Toole.
Robbie Wilders, tipster

Triple Trade

I fully expect JPR One to emerge into a top prospect for team Tizzard but he is already pretty well known so perhaps put this lesser light from the stable into your tracker. JPR One led a close finish between three very nice prospects in a good Exeter novice in November but not too far away in fourth was Triple Trade, a horse capable of doing some damage in handicaps.

He was just under three lengths off I Am Maximus, who has bolted up by six lengths since, while the remainder were a long way behind. Triple Trade has since ran well on handicap debut, again in a good contest, but looks to be crying out for a step up in trip and his pedigree suggests that would bring out further improvement too.

There should be a fair bit of room to manoeuvre from a rating of 118 and he could even develop into an EBF Final contender. The talent is there, 2022 is when it can be delivered.
James Stevens, reporter

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