'Rivals Should Be Worried' - Five chasers to follow this season This is the best time of year for racing fans who love the jumps, as there are so many possibilities and so many top races coming up. It’s an exciting time of year and now is the perfect time to take a look at five very promising chasers who could go on to do big things this season and in each case, loads of improvement is anticipated. These include a Gordon Elliott-trained mare who looks ready to take the novice chasing division by storm. Brighterdaysahead She is an exceptional mare and any potential rivals should be worried by her trainer’s report that she has strengthened up over the summer. We should see her soon and the Mares’ Chase is her Cheltenham Festival target. Elliott’s six-year-old made State Man look like a handicapper when winning the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas and if reproducing that level of form over fences, she’s going to be an excellent chaser. Myretown Lucinda Russell has been joined by Michael Scudamore on the training license this season and the pair will get off to an excellent start if Myretown fulfils his potential. A novice chaser last term, he progressed nicely over fences and his career can take off this season. He absolutely destroyed the field when winning the Ultima with loads in hand last season and he should be competing in graded chases on that evidence. The son of Dylan Thomas is a pretty short ante-post price for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury and rightfully so. Spillane’s Tower Connections took things fairly slowly with him last term and that decision could pay dividends this season. He progressed nicely at the back end of his novice chase campaign in 2024, winning the WillowWarm Gold Cup and Punchestown’s Champion Novice Chase. Only beaten half-a-length by Fact To File on seasonal debut last term, it’s clear that he possesses loads of ability. Jimmy Mangan’s plan is to run him in a Listed race at Naas this weekend before a possible raid on the Betfair Chase and he’s a serious contender. Resplendent Grey Olly Murphy has made a flying start to his autumn campaign and his partnership with Sean Bowen is producing loads of winners. Resplendent Grey was a very smart novice last term, despite not being in the elite tier of the division. His finest hour came in the bet365 Gold Cup on the final day of the season, where he managed to come out on top by a length. There could well be more to come from him this term and the top staying handicap chases will be open to him once again. Stellar Story Trainer Gordon Elliott rates this horse quite highly and showed a significant amount of potential as a novice last term. Proper soft ground will allow him to thrive and it’ll be interesting to see how high he can climb up the ranks. Stellar Story has reportedly done well over the summer and is a Cheltenham Festival winner, having claimed victory in the 2024 Albert Bartlett. He could be vulnerable to the elite chasers in the division but there are plenty of suitable prizes up for grabs throughout the campaign.
