Mark Boylan: Ontheropes is my idea of the Ladbrokes Trophy winner

It was in preparing to interview Willie Mullins for last week's stable tour that the sublime quality of his squad across almost all divisions really hit home.

There doesn't seem to be any trainer in Britain or Ireland with the same powerful ammunition as the Closutton maestro and that is reflected in my selections for the 2021-22 Tote Ten To Follow.

You can enter the Tote Ten To Follow here

We could be on the verge of a potentially golden era for two-mile chasing and plenty of bases should be covered by including Chacun Pour Soi and Energumene.

Both are clearly supremely talented and will surely avoid each other for as long as possible before potentially locking horns in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, all being well. That should ensure plenty of opportunities for collecting points.

Elimay could well have won the Mares' Chase at Cheltenham last season if things had unfolded differently. With the reigning champion Colreevy now retired, there should be no shortage of openings for the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old to stamp her authority on the mares' division.

Given there aren't a huge amount of challengers lining up to threaten her Champion Hurdle crown, Honeysuckle is an obvious inclusion. Echoes In Rain could pick up Grade 1 prizes that Honeysuckle might sidestep, such as the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown and Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown.

How to play the Tote Ten To Follow

There are plenty of bonus-race opportunities for staying chasers and A Plus Tard appeals as being capable of winning throughout the season, rather than being campaigned to peak at Cheltenham like stablemate Minella Indo.

Clan Des Obeaux is expected to have a productive season well into the spring, judged on last term, and looks a solid choice for the task at hand.

Munster National winner Ontheropes is my idea of the Ladbrokes Trophy winner, an early bonus race, and the fact he will be a novice for the season makes him a good fit to mix and match between valuable handicaps and Graded novice chases depending on how his campaign unfolds.

Appreciate It can't be overlooked at shorter distances in the novice chase division, while for the same connections Kilcruit has obvious star potential in the novice hurdling category.

MARK BOYLAN'S TEN TO FOLLOW

A Plus Tard
Appreciate It
Chacun Pour Soi
Clan Des Obeaux
Echoes In Rain
Elimay
Energumene
Honeysuckle
Kilcruit
Ontheropes

Upping The Ante star Gavin Lynch joins the Racing Post roster for a weekly Saturday column throughout the jumps season. He'll offer a guide to the weekend action, highlight the horses and races to watch and share his punting wisdom. Read it every Saturday in the Racing Post or online from 4pm every Friday.