Irish Tote Ten To Follow For the dedicated national hunt enthusiasts among you, it’s that wonderful time of the year when your tracker notifications ramp up with declarations for your favourite horses. It is therefore well worth giving the Tote Ten To Follow your best shot before the competition entries are closed on Saturday November 12. The Tote’s fantasy game has been exceptionally popular this year and by picking ten star horses, you could be in with the chance of winning a minimum of €100,000. We have selected ten Irish horses we think will make a splash in the 2022/2023 feature races - remember this game is all about picking horses you think will win top-level and championship races. Allaho - trainer Willie Mullins has mentioned that the King George VI Chase at Kempton is a target for this exceptional talent with the Clonmel Oil Chase a likely starting point this season. With A Plus Tard running in the Gold Cup for the same owners, Mullins may indeed head to the Ryanair Chase with Allaho at the Cheltenham Festival. American Mike - trainer Gordon Elliott is keen to avoid Facile Vega this season and has consequently stepped American Mike up in trip who scored impressively on his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal. His options are the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival. A Plus Tard - the reigning Gold Cup champion was sublime in the highlight of the jumps season in March, shrugging off his rivals with ease. The Henry de Bromhead star is odds-on favourite to get his season off to a flyer in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 19. This remarkably consistent type has never finished out of the first three in all of his races. Blazing Khal - exclusively revealing on our recent stable tour that Blazing Khal will remain over hurdles, trainer Charles Byrnes has a glint in his eye when discussing the 2022 Albert Bartlett winner. He has the potential to shine brightly in the staying hurdle division and is a current 8-1 shot for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Brandy Love - An impressive mare with impressive form. Last seen finishing eight lengths clear of her rivals in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse, beating Cheltenham Festival winner Love Envoi. Connections think the world of her and she will be one to watch for the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham. Energumene - last year's emphatic Champion Chase winner when arch rival Shishkin didn't handle the ground and flopped, this mighty speedster will be back for more this season. His jumping style, his speed and his agility make him an all-round champion over the two mile trips. Facile Vega - the owners of this son of multiple Grade 1-winning mare Quevega have turned down eye-watering offers for this talented youngster. In a recent stable tour with irishracing.com, Willie Mullins selected Facile Vega as his horse to follow for the season. Unbeaten in four bumper runs and having beaten American Mike by nearly four lengths in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, he simply has to be on the list. Galopin Des Champs - last seen winning at Punchestown by 18 lengths, this impressive chaser is exceptionally exciting for the season ahead. Unlucky to have lost out at Cheltenham when he slipped up at the final fence when miles clear, he is a force to be reckoned with and a joy to watch. Honeysuckle - the remarkable mare has captured the hearts of racing fans around the world and while she will face stiffer tests this year, most notably against Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Constitution Hill, the superstar mare has shown no signs of slowing down and her experience, heart and tenacity stand her in good stead. Mighty Potter - this novice chaser may not have set the world alight on his chasing debut but Gordon Elliott has described him as ‘very, very good’ . A shock defeat of Sir Gerhard at Punchestown revealed his true talent and he will be high on the list for the Arkle or Turners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham next year.
