With a Cheltenham Festival winner and over £1million in prizemoney for the third season running, the 2024-5 jumps season underlined that Lucinda Russell’s Scottish stable is the most potent jumps operation in the north of Britain.
But there is no resting on laurels and the Summer has seen significant changes.
Assistant trainer Michael Scudamore has become the joint licence holder and new boxes have been built to accommodate a string which continues to grow.
There are big hopes Myretown, who gave Russell her third win in the last four years in the Ultima Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He is being aimed at next month’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.
Derryhassen Paddy, who finished third in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, is an exciting talent who will be sent novice chasing while Caballo De Guerra, Conman John and Imperfectly Perfect are leading lights among the deepest group of novice hurdlers the stable has ever had.
Eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore, Russell’s partner and assistant trainer, ran the rule over the stable’s plans for pbc88.org
AHOY SENOR
Like last season, he will make his seasonal debut in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree on Sunday. He ran his best race of his season in it last year but didn’t run as well again.
On his day he is a very good horse and he is at his best at Aintree. He hadn’t been working as well as he can but he seems to have brightened up after a recent racecourse gallop with Myretown at Ayr.
We will be in a better position to decide where he will be aimed after Sunday.
APPLE AWAY
She will have an entry for the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby just to have a look but will probably go to a mares’ chase at Carlisle and follow a similar programme to last season including the Listed Bud Booth Mares’ Chase at Market Rasen next month which she was second in last year.
The main target will again be the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Haydock in February. She was second-past-the-post in it last season before being awarded the prize when the original winner was disqualified.
It didn’t work out running her in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter when she was pulled up. She probably had not recovered from her Haydock exertions and the track had been over-watered. The Scottish National is a more likely destination this time after Haydock.
She has been a remarkable mare. She cost £35,000, has won a grade one novice hurdle and £185,000 in prizemoney. The Uttoxeter race is the only bad run of her career.
BIG JOHN WAYNE
A talented horse who has had lots of problems. He has not run since finishing second to a useful opponent at Worcester a year ago. He is back in training but it will be around Christmas before he has a chance of running again. He will go over fences now.
BIGLESISBACK
A half-sister to last season’s Pertemps Hurdle Final winner Doddiethegreat. She ran well despite being hampered in a Punchestown Bumper in May and then didn’t jump as well as she can when third to Mountain Molly in a two and a half mile mares’ novice hurdle at Perth in September. She will step up in distance to a 2m 6f race at Kelso next. We think she is decent and a test of stamina will suit her.
BOLD LIGHT
Did really well last season, winning three times and rising up the handicap. He has entries at Aintree on Sunday which include the option of stepping up to three miles for the first time. He is not a big horse but we will school him over fences to see how he gets on.
CABALLO DE GUERRA
Entered in the four-year-old Masterson Holdings Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. He worked better last season than he ran in his Bumpers as he was not settling. He did that better on his hurdling debut at Kelso at the start of the month, winning from two stablemates with a little in hand. It looked a good performance but we will see where we go with him after Saturday’s test. We have always thought a lot of him.
CONMAN JOHN
Likely to run in the three-mile novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. He jumps well and has a bit of experience having run twice in point-to-points and twice in Bumpers, including a useful fifth at the Punchestown Festival in May. He narrowly beat stablemate Timefortom in a 2m 5f novices’ hurdle at Kelso at the start of this month.
He probably doesn’t want the ground too soft and is a very relaxed horse. He is a stayer in the making so he will hopefully improve for the step up in trip.
On ratings and performances we have the best bunch of novice hurdlers that we have ever had and he looks a good one among a good lot.
DE LEGISLATOR
Had some silly little problems which kept him off for nearly two years. Managed two runs last season, including a win in a 3m chase at Wetherby in February but then didn’t run again because the soft ground he needs disappeared. He is a well handicapped horse, capable of winning a nice long-distance chase and as soon as his ground arrives, he’ll run.
DERRYHASSEN PADDY
He is a big horse and he has taken well to fences when he has schooled. If there is enough rain, he could make his steeplechasing debut next week at Newcastle or there is an option at Hexham after that. On his form last season, which included third to Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he looks like he could mix it with the most exciting staying novice chasers around but it is a hot division. He is among the best we have dealt with but it remains to be seen whether that is good enough to take him to the top.
DOUBLY BLESSED
An exciting new recruit who won an Irish point-to-point. He is only a baby and won’t run until after Christmas but he is a very promising son of Vadamos.
EAGLES REPRIEVE
A half-brother to 2021 Welsh National winner Secret Reprieve, so what he did last season as a three-year-old when winning a Bumper and twice being second over hurdles should not be underestimated. He was beaten by what looks like a decent horse in the second of those hurdle runs at Carlisle. He is one to keep an eye on and has an entry at Kelso on Saturday.
ESPRIT DU POTIERS
Back after missing last season with a leg injury having won a couple of novice hurdles in 2024 and even been thrown into a grade one at Aintree. Likely to stay hurdling this season and will be kept to softer ground.
HEADS OR HARPS
He was working well but we got his trip wrong to start with before he dropped back to 2m to win a chase at Ayr in March. He has a comeback planned over that course and distance.
IF NOT FOR DYLAN
Won at Newcastle in January before finishing third in the Highlands National at Perth, a race he won in 2023, in April. He is entered in the Veterans Chase at Aintree on Sunday. We would love to get him in the Becher Chase at Aintree in December because his jumping is so solid so it would be good to go well at the track this weekend.
IMPERFECTLYPERFECT
Won a Bumper at Hexham in March and a 2m novices’ hurdle back at the track earlier this month. He could be stepped up to 2m 4f and there is an option for him back at Hexham. The only time he has been beaten for us was when he was third at Kelso in February and we rode him with the wrong tactics. He jumps well and looks like he will stay well.
INIS OIRR
He has to go right-handed and we changed the way we have been riding him when he bounced back to form when second in a 3m chase at Carlisle this month. He would have won in a few more strides.
He will go back to Carlisle for his next race. He lost his form last season. He made all the running when he won the 2024 Edinburgh National and we kept on with those tactics and I think he got fed up. Derek (Fox) gave him a lovely hold-up ride at Carlisle.
INOX ALLEN
Entered in a 2m 4f novices’ handicap chase at Cheltenham on Saturday. He was disappointing to start with over fences last season so he was fitted with blinkers and he looked a different horse when winning at Perth in April. The headgear seems to make him jump better and keeps him straight.
JET OF STARS
An exciting new recruit who won a point-to-point in Ireland in February, form which looks exceptional. By Jet Away, he is only a four-year-old. He won’t be seen on a track until around Christmas. He is likely to be nursed through this season with a couple of Bumper runs with a view to going hurdling next season.
JET TO VEGAS
He has schooled well over fences at home and seems more relaxed than last season when we probably gave the wrong riding instructions on a couple of occasions. His performance when he won the Grade Two Premier Hurdle at Kelso in March was pretty good.
He was runner-up to a decent opponent in Kingston Pride at Perth in a 2m 4f beginners chase at Perth on Tuesday. We were happy enough with that run as a starting point, especially his jumping. It was soft ground and he would probably be more at home on a drier surface. We may look at taking him for a race in the south now. He remains one to look forward to.
JUPITER DES MOTTES
Has run three nice races for us, winning at Newcastle in January and then finishing second at Ayr in March to a horse who went on to be placed in the 3m grade one novice hurdle at Aintree. He has been schooled over fences and is pretty close to a run. He seems to jump fences better than he jumped hurdles. He could have an exciting future over fences.
KOOL RAOUL
A son of Great Pretender which we bought in France, he showed promise in Bumpers and only inexperience probably prevented him from winning on his debut at Musselburgh in November. He was a running-on second to Caballo De Guerra on his hurdling debut over 2m at Kelso earlier this month. He might step up half a mile for his next race.
LETS MINGLE
A Walk In The Park mare. She won a maiden hurdle at Perth in May and she seems to have improved through the Summer. She has entries at Kelso on Saturday and Bangor on Monday and will take up one of those.
MOON PHASES
Works very well at home and ran with promise when second in a two-mile maiden hurdle at Ayr in March. He is entered in a two-mile maiden hurdle at Kelso on Saturday but is not certain to run. He has had a few niggly issues which have disrupted his training but hopefully now he will have one run over hurdles before going novice chasing.
MOUNTAIN MOLLY
Won on her seasonal debut at Perth and then was second back at the track on Tuesday. The plan is now to send her novice chasing. She is a great big mare and has schooled well over fences.
MYRETOWN
The long-term plan has been and remains the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on November 29. He has had a racecourse gallop at Ayr alongside Ahoy Senor when he went really well. Rather than give him a prep-run, the plan is to have another one at Perth on Wednesday.
After his runs last season which culminated in winning the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival impressively, he looks the ideal candidate for the Newbury race.
There is a small chance he could have an entry in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby if the ground came up right for him there but Newbury is the number one target. We haven’t really looked beyond the Newbury race but, at the moment, we do not necessarily regard him as a Grand National horse.
OLD GREGORIAN
He ran some terrific races last season over hurdles, winning twice and also finishing third in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso. We nursed him along a bit to get him through to his novice chase career and he won on his first run over fences at Wetherby this month.
That was only a two-horse race and his only opponent fell but Old Gregorian was taking control at the time and he jumped pretty well. He is not extravagant, just correct. He should gain confidence from that first chase win.
OUT OF THE WOODS
Won a Bumper at Ayr in January. He is entered at Aintree on Sunday but is not certain to run. He has been working very well at home and he is another good prospect.
RATTLING ROAD
He has been pencilled in to start his season next week at Newcastle where he won a two and a half mile chase last season. He is a big horse who has strengthened and he will step up to three miles at some stage. He is capable of winning a decent race. Jumps well.
ROCHEVAL
A nice horse who didn’t manage to add to his three wins last season but was in front when he fell two out at Kelso in March and then was a creditable fifth in a 2m 4f handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. He must have soft ground. He is only five and will stay hurdling. A step up to 3m is likely.
SARACEN BEAU
He was held up by a minor injury last season but showed promise when we got him on track at Kelso in April when third in a 2m 2f novices’ hurdle. He goes novice chasing. He has schooled well.
SLEEDAGH
Runner-up in a decent Bumper at Perth in April when he stayed on well as you would hope for from a son of Milan. He was also doing his best work at the finish when runner-up in a 2m 4f maiden hurdle back at the track on Tuesday. We like him but he will probably need three miles to be fully seen at his best.
SPADESTEP
Decisively won a 2m novices’ chase at Hexham earlier this month and will now go novice chasing. Has an entry for Aintree on Sunday. He is not an extravagant jumper but seems an efficient one.
THE HATCHET
A bit disappointing in his Bumpers last season but his jumping came to the fore when successful on his hurdling debut at Perth last month. His jumping is a big asset which means we’ll be looking at races at tracks like Ayr and Wetherby for him where jumping really counts. He ‘ll stick to two miles for the time being.
TIMEFORTOM
Just beaten by Conman John at Kelso. We were really pleased with that run. It looks like he will be a three-miler at some stage although we may not step him up to that just yet. In amongst our bunch of really nice novice hurdlers.
TRAPRAIN LAW
Entered at Cheltenham on Friday after a promising comeback second at Kelso earlier this month. He is best on soft ground and after Friday there is another race back at Kelso for him. Looked like he was an out-and-out two-miler but we think he will get further now and at seven-years-old is still a young horse.
TRIPLE CROWN TED
He was third to Caballo De Guerra in a two-mile novices’ hurdle at the start of the month. He ran a bit free that day and, being a son of Walk In The Park, will probably take a bit of time to come to himself. He needs to learn to race a bit better and when does that he will probably be best at further than two miles. He has talent and we probably look at Ayr or Hexham for his next races.
WALK ON QUEST
Won four chases on the bounce last season and is entered in an amateur chase at Cheltenham on Friday. He has been working well. He probably needs better ground and jumps well. Didn’t like the ground when pulled up at Uttoxeter in March and had probably had enough for the season when beaten at Perth the following month.
WALKING ON A DREAM
I really like him. He is a great big Walk In The Park gelding who won a 2m maiden hurdle at Ayr in January. He had a problem last season which held him up but he has been working very well. He would be one to keep an eye on.
WHISTLE STOP TOUR
He was disappointing at Perth in September but he hasn’t run well there before and doesn’t seem to like the track. He is entered at Kelso on Saturday.
His season fell apart after he was badly hampered by a faller at the first fence in the Ultima Chase at Cheltenham in March. I think that upset him. He is clearly a horse with ability. Derek (Fox) has always had a great deal of faith in him. If we can get him back in form, he could be aimed at races like the Welsh Grand National.
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