Trainer of three Group 1 winners on the Flat in 2024, the 2023/24 National Hunt season has been another great success for Joseph O’Brien. Another successful domestic campaign saw him finish in the top five in the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship for the seventh consecutive season.

Banbridge’s valiant performance in the Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival added another Grade 1 victory to his training CV, while Lark In The Mornin’s victory in the Fred Winter Hurdle in March gave him a fourth Cheltenham victory Festival.

The 2024/35 National Hunt season is also off to a good start, with Jordans and San Salvador both winning Grade 3 Novice Chases, and the Nürburgring claiming an impressive winner in the Galway Hurdle, a race Joseph won in 2017 with Tigris . River. There’s a lot to look forward to now as the national hunting season kicks into high gear.

BANBRIDGE

He has been a class horse for us for a few seasons now. He was ready to rise to win the Champion Chase at Punchestown in April by a neck. We couldn’t run it last season until the new year because of the soft ground, but it’s different this year. He’ll probably head to the Fortria Chase in Navan first, then maybe the Hilly Way Chase in Cork, and we might have a look at the King George after that. He won the Silviniaco Conti Chase last January in his only race at Kempton. We know it goes a good two and a half miles, and that’s something we’d like to explore at some point.

BUSSELTON

He’s a young horse, but he’s been around for a while. The plan is to go cross country with him. He studied cross country obstacles and did well. He is taking part in the cross country race at Cheltenham on Friday and the plan is to go with him. We hope he will master the cross country obstacles as he gains experience.

COMFORT ZONE

He’s had a good season on the flat, we were delighted with him at Naas last time when he won a valuable two mile handicap. It was nice to win a good pot with him on flats. He’s likely to go the handicap hurdle route, and there’s no reason why he can’t also win a good pot in hurdles.

COTTESLOE SUN

She was competing with the favorite at Clonmel in a maiden mare’s hurdle race a few weeks ago when she went off in the penultimate flight. It was a great battle between the two of them at the time, and they were one step away from their rivals. She is no worse off, and she will now pass another first hurdle, probably in Limerick. She might also launch a lawsuit sooner rather than later.

FAKIR OF OUDAIRIES

He is a great servant and I was pleased with his participation in the Clonmel Oil Chase last week. It was just his second return after a break, and he’s just getting back into shape a bit now. We feel that he still has many good days ahead of him. He could go to Cheltenham for the cross-country chase. It also offers the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas as an option.

HOUSE BY THE LEE

He will race at Navan this weekend in the Lismullen Hurdle, then travel to the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown next month, just as he did last year. He won both of those races in 2022. He had a great summer and we’re looking forward to targeting all those good obstacles with him again this season.

JORDANIES

He ran well in his first race for us to finish second to San Salvador in a novice chase at Listowel in September, and he progressed from this last time to win a Grade 3 novice chase. in Punchestown. He has the option of going to the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham at present, but he also has the option of going to the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse or the Florida Pearl Chase at Punchestown. For the moment, we favor the Punchestown race, the track on which he won. We think he is a very good rookie for the coming year. This is a horse that could stand out in the top novice races this season.

LARK IN THE MORNING

He gave us and his owners a great day when winning the Boodles at Cheltenham in March. He will likely campaign in these fine handicap hurdles throughout the season. He is only four years old and we hope he will bring even more to him.

Mr. PERCY

He is likely to run in the For Auction Hurdle at Navan on Saturday. He won his maiden on the flat at Gowran in September, and he managed to win his first hurdles at Limerick a few weeks ago. We hope he can build on that. We hope he can be a good beginner hurdler for the winter, although he will probably be kept away from very heavy ground.

NATURALLY AGILE

After some good defeats on the flat, he won his maiden in Navan in September over 1,400 meters. He could be a good juvenile hurdler for the season. It will start soon and we will see where we are. He’s ready to start now.

NURBURGRING

He gave us a great day winning the Galway Hurdle over the summer, and he went on to run well in some of the best holding handicaps on the Flat. He’s going to be a novice hunter now. He has an entry in a beginners chase at Navan on Saturday, and he could start there. It has some inputs though, it has some options. He’s a good big horse and he’s good at jumping, so we hope he can clear the obstacles.

THE PRAIRIE ANGEL

She is a tough filly, a half-sister to Prairie Dancer. She is progressive on the flat and over hurdles, she has won four of her last five races. She’s going to compete in the Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham on Saturday, and we’ll take it from there. She could return for the Minors’ Hurdle at Fairyhouse in Hatton’s Grace Hurdle Weekend, depending on how she performs at Cheltenham.

PRAIRIE DANCER

He was a star for us, he won a lot of races and he won a lot of prize money. He’ll come back now for a two or three mile novice chase and we’ll see where we go after that.

SAN SALVADOR

He continued well to beat Jordans in that Novice Graded Chase at Listowel in September, and he was good next time winning the Grade 3 Kilbegnet Novice Chase at Roscommon. He ran well at Cheltenham last time too, it was a complicated race and he made a mistake at the penultimate fence, at a key moment in the race. He will likely return to Cheltenham this weekend for another novice chase. We think he’s a horse that can hold his own throughout the winter in these great novice races.

SOLNITY

He was a star for his owners, he won a lot of races. I thought he ran really well in the Clonmel Oil Chase last week, he’s just been discovered for his endurance over two miles and five furlongs at a strong pace. He will now campaign in these premium handicap and ranking races. He will be campaigning for plenty of prize money, and he could also visit Dundalk at some point. He won over hurdles and jumps, it would be nice if he could win on the flat too.

TURN AND FINISH

He had some good races over hurdles. He slipped on the flat at Cork in his penultimate race, but bounced back and ran a fine race at Galway last time out in a maiden three-year-old hurdle race. He should be ready to win his first title, and we can go from there.

Jumps Stable Towers…

More from Sporting Life

Safer gaming

We are committed to supporting safer gaming. Recommended Bets are recommended for those over 18 and we strongly encourage readers to only bet what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline/ GamCare at 0808 8020 133.

Additional support and information can be found at begambleaware.org And gametherapy.org.