Richard Birch: Bear Ghylls will tough it out with the best this winter

Fancy trying to win a fortune for a fiver by selecting ten of your favourite jumps horses to follow throughout the long, dark winter months into spring? A no-brainer, surely?

Kick off with A Plus Tard, narrowly foiled by Minella Indo in last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. A Plus Tard is only seven, and retains conspicuously low mileage. If he’d been ridden more like a stayer and jumped the last two fences better he might well have beaten his year-older stablemate.

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There is every possibility the best is yet to come from A Plus Tard, who can win both the Savills Chase and Gold Cup this term.

Bear Ghylls is another who ran a blinder at the Cheltenham Festival without winning. His fourth to Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle looks an exceptional piece of form, with the runner-up Gaillard Du Mesnil and third Bravemansgame also strong contenders for inclusion in this list.

The fact that Bob Olinger was able to win that championship contest in such style suggests he’s going to prove a superstar over fences during the 2021-22 campaign.

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He’s already the hot favourite for the Marsh Novices’ Chase and you need only watch the video of his Ballymore win to see why. He simply drips with class.

Gaillard Du Mesnil possesses form figures of 121 since being pitched into Grade 1 company. I loved his blend of speed and stamina at Leopardstown in February, and connections have an embarrassment of options for him over hurdles or fences this season.

Galvin has been talked about as a long-term Grand National prospect since his early days, and the six-year-old looks tailor-made for Aintree.

A relentless galloper with more than a touch of class, he excelled over 3m6f at Cheltenham in March, and has scope for further improvement at marathon trips.

Mighty mare Honeysuckle really needs no introduction. Unbeaten in 12 starts under rules, she looked a much more professional performer during her most recent campaign which was highlighted by that magnificent, heart-warming success in the Champion Hurdle.

She’s likely to remain at the very top of the hurdling tree for another two seasons, and looks as near to an ante-post certainty as you can get at this stage to retain her crown.

Kilcruit made a deep impression when romping home in a Grade 2 Leopardstown bumper by 12 lengths in February and I still cannot believe he got beat in the real thing the following month.

If you could re-run that Champion Bumper it’s no offers he’d be going into this new campaign unbeaten in four starts for Willie Mullins, and I’m adamant he’s the most under-estimated of the biggest of the Irish big guns.

I think he’s special and has considerably more speed than people are giving him credit for, but it’s hard to second-guess which route he’ll take this term.

Klassical Dream isn’t the easiest to keep sound, but what an engine this seven-year-old possesses.

Quick enough to land the 2019 Supreme Novices’ in comfortable fashion, he proved his stamina by powering clear in the Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown in April.

I fancied Secret Reprieve to win the Grand National last season, and was hugely disappointed when he narrowly missed the cut.

He won the Welsh National with more in hand than the three-length victory margin suggests and this lightly raced seven-year-old is open to further improvement. He couldn’t be in better hands than Evan Williams with an Aintree bid in mind.

Last, but by no means least, how can you leave out the brilliant Shishkin, 6-4 favourite for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, from the list?

He oozes class at everything he does, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he developed into an even better racehorse than Altior.

RICHARD BIRCH'S TEN TO FOLLOW
A Plus Tard
Bear Ghylls
Bob Olinger
Gaillard Du Mesnil
Galvin
Honeysuckle
Kilcruit
Klassical Dream
Secret Reprieve
Shishkin

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