Top 5 UK Horses to Follow in 2026-27 by Ginger Joe

#1 Soldier Reeves

• • Age: 5 years
  • T: Dan Skelton
  • O: Des Grech
  • Form: 312342-
  • The Target: Big end-of-season staying handicap hurdle, or the Stayers, if he exceeds expectations. May look to small stake punt for the Stayers, too.

Before I get into why I’ve picked Soldier Reeves, I think it’s really important to understand what my list is actually about. Picking a horse to follow doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be backing them every time they run, or that I think they’re going to win every race they turn up in. The idea is to find horses that I think have a particular target or a profile that could lead to them winning races throughout the season, and for us to then catch them at the right time.

With Soldier Reeves, there’s a very specific reason why I’ve put him at the very top of my list. Dan Skelton clearly liked him from the moment he joined the yard. He gave him a run in a bumper in October, where he finished third, but rather than giving him another couple of runs in bumpers, Skelton sent him straight over hurdles just a couple of weeks later at Cheltenham.

That immediately caught my eye, even back then. To go from one bumper run to making his hurdles debut at Cheltenham suggests to me that Skelton must have thought there was plenty of ability there. It proved to be a very good decision when Soldier Reeves won the race at 14/1. He was held up right at the back early on, which is also an important trait to focus on here.

That was really only the beginning, because his form from last season is class, despite not winning since his hurdles debut. He followed that Cheltenham win with a second at Sandown to Hurricane Pat, before finishing third at Haydock to the Supreme winner Old Park Star.

Soldier Reeves then ran a huge race to finish fourth in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival, staying on very strongly late in the day. He was sent off at 150/1 and, despite being slowly away, finished strongly enough to suggest he could have finished even closer.

He then backed that up at Aintree when finishing second to Bossman Jack in Grade 1 company over two and a half miles, but everything Soldier Reeves does suggests he will be even better over three miles. I’m really interested to see what he can do as a staying horse.

Dan Skelton has already spoken very positively about Soldier Reeves as a potential Grade 1 stayer this season. After Aintree, he said he’d “stay all day” and had a “very big engine”, suggesting he could potentially stay over hurdles this season.

I just think he’s tailor-made for the big staying handicap hurdles, which could come later in the season, or potentially graded level if he proves good enough.

The way he races is a huge part of why I like him. He’s a very strong traveler who can be held up early and then gradually work his way through the field. We saw those tactics last season, and I think they could be absolutely ideal when he gets into a big-field staying handicap later this season.

Soldier Reeves travels very easily, has a really nice staying speed and most importantly, keeps finding under pressure late in his races while still looking unexposed. That combination of strong travelling, pure stamina and the ability to quicken late is exactly what I want to see in a horse for a big staying handicap.

We have seen horses like Inglis Drever and Paisley Park adopt those tactics, and horses with that combination of stamina and speed can be deadly!

I also think there’s still plenty more improvement to come. He only turned five last season and had just six runs under rules, yet he already managed to finish second in a Grade 1 at Aintree. There’s no reason to think we’ve seen the finished article yet, and he could prove to be up to Stayers Hurdle company.

Interestingly, I actually think Dan Skelton sounds even more excited about Soldier Reeves than he does about Bossman Jack, despite Bossman Jack being the horse who beat him at Aintree over 2m4f.

Again, remember that Soldier Reeves is a three-miler in the making. Skelton was hugely complimentary about Bossman Jack and clearly thinks he could go a long way, but his comments about Soldier Reeves were equally interesting, particularly when he said he has a “big future ahead of him”. They are completely different horses though, and I think Soldier Reeves could end up being the one that gives us more fun from a betting perspective.

I wouldn’t be totally surprised if he turned out to be special, but my idea right now is that he will be tried at Grade 1 level, so let’s see if he gets there. I’ll probably back him in the Grade 1s, because if he wins, I’ll fall in love with those Inglis Drever attributes!

But my mind right now says there is a big pot in him, and he did only cost £95,000 when they first got him. It will be intriguing to see how he is campaigned, and dare I say, I think he could be a stronger contender for the Stayers Hurdle than stablemate The New Lion.

#2 Klycot

• • Age: 4 years
  • T: Richard Bandey
  • O: Les Amis De Cedric
  • Form: 41213-
  • The Target: The Greatwood first (hopefully), then potentially a Betfair or a Lanzarote. Ultimately, one big handicap win this season.

Next up on my list is a horse called Klycot, a four-year-old son of The Grey Gatsby who is trained by Richard Bandey. Bandey has had some nice horses over the years and has done an excellent job with them, but I think Klycot has the potential to be the best of them all.

He isn’t on my list for the long term though. He has made the list for this season only, and for a few reasons too. First off, let’s take a look at what he has actually done so far, because he is still very early in his career.

He was a winner on the Flat in France before joining the Bandey team as a three-year-old, and he showed plenty during his juvenile hurdle campaign to suggest there is a lot more still to come.

On debut for Richard Bandey, he finished fourth in a decent juvenile hurdle at Sandown, but he kicked on plenty from there. Klycot then beat Lord Byron at Exeter, importantly on heavy ground, and that could turn out to be good form, with Lord Byron going close to King Rasko Grey later in the season.

Klycot continued to improve from there, finishing runner-up next time despite jumping poorly, before bouncing back to win at Wetherby by 12 lengths on soft ground.

He then capped off a superb season by finishing third in the Boodles at the Cheltenham Festival, beaten just 3¼ lengths by Saratoga, with Winston Junior in second. Now, you hear it all the time, punters calling the Boodles a bit of a nothing race, but I actually think this year’s race has the potential to work out really well.

Saratoga is being campaigned with a Champion Hurdle in mind, while Winston Junior is another who looks likely to be aimed pretty high. So I think Klycot’s third at Cheltenham was proper form, and it gives him plenty of options for the season ahead, especially off a mark of just 129.

As a four-year-old who isn’t quite at the top level just yet, I think it’s highly likely connections will keep him over hurdles this season, and I can absolutely see a nice handicap in this horse.

So, you may ask me what his options are going to be this season. Well, I actually think there are a few different routes they could take with Klycot, and that is one of the things that makes him so interesting to me.

I could see him lining up in the Greatwood at Cheltenham in November, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he is able to go and win it first time out. The Betfair Hurdle at Newbury would look an obvious target if they wanted to stay in handicaps from there, while I wouldn’t completely rule out connections stepping him up in trip either.

I think 2m4f could potentially bring another dimension out of him in time actually, and the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton would be an appealing option if they felt he wanted that extra half-mile.

Then there is the more exciting route of going into Graded company, IF he wins the Greatwood of course. The International Hurdle at Cheltenham would look a natural target if he were to win the Greatwood in impressive fashion, while the Kingwell Hurdle could also come into the equation.

And of course, you can’t completely rule out the Champion Hurdle. I’m not saying Klycot is going to win the Champion Hurdle, in fact, I think he’ll probably fall a long way short of graded level, but if he were to win the Greatwood in smart manner, I’d certainly be interested to see what connections do with him afterwards.

However, I’m following Klycot for one reason really, and that’s to try and win some money off him. I think there is a big pot in this horse somewhere, whether that comes in the Greatwood nice and early, the Lanzarote a little later down the line, or potentially even the Betfair Hurdle.

I do think he will fall short of the Graded level, but I absolutely believe he can win a big-money handicap this season, and that’s when I’ll be looking to back him.

#3 Bobby’s Nelson

• • Age: 7 years
  • T: Dan Skelton
  • O: Gwent Holdings
  • Form: 2/2213
  • The Target: To win multiple races over fences before his mark gets too high later in the season.

Another horse I want to have on my side this season is Bobby’s Nelson, and I think there is plenty to like about this one. He is a seven-year-old who is still incredibly lightly raced for his age, and he has now moved from Philip Hobbs to Dan Skelton for this season.

He won a bumper as a five-year-old in January 2024 but then missed a whopping 649 days off the track before returning as a novice hurdler towards the end of 2025. That makes it quite easy to forget just how inexperienced he actually is, because he has had very little racing compared to most seven-year-olds.

His form over hurdles is actually pretty good, too. He finished second to the Supreme Novice Hurdle fourth Baron Noir, then finished second again before getting his head in front at Ffos Las over 2m4f. He then finished third behind Swindon Village in a good novice hurdle at Newbury, and I think that form gives him a really solid platform to go chasing from.

Off a mark of 129, I’d be pretty confident that Skelton will send him over fences this season. There are races to be won with this horse, and I think Dan will be keen to exploit that mark before the handicapper or the horse betting sites get a chance to catch up.

The other thing I really like is his age. Being a seven-year-old going novice chasing isn’t necessarily a negative at all. In fact, as long as Bobby’s Nelson stays sound, he is going to be physically ahead of some younger horses he could come up against. He has already had time to strengthen and mature, despite having so little racing.

I think Bobby’s Nelson could be a very nice novice chaser this season. He has some decent hurdle form behind him, he is still hugely unexposed, and with Dan Skelton taking over, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win a few races over fences this season.

Surely a horse we can win off a few times this season, and the move to the Skelton yard is a big positive in my eyes.

#4 Mourne Crystal

• • Age: 4 Years
  • T: Ben Pauling
  • O: Redknapp & Co
  • Form: Unraced
  • The Target: To win on debut over hurdles, then to go on to graded level, and line up at Cheltenham with half a chance in March.

It probably comes as no surprise to see Mourne Crystal make my horses to follow list, considering how much I’ve been going on about him throughout the summer! I genuinely think he has the potential to develop into a very smart horse, and hopefully, he can go on to add some more graded winners to Ben Pauling’s CV.

He was recruited privately after winning his point-to-point at Portrush, having been produced by Patrick Turley, who also produced this year’s Champion Bumper winner, The Mourne Rambler, another horse who won at Portrush. This is becoming a venue worth keeping a close eye on for future recruits, and Mourne Crystal is the next one on my list.

Of course, my love for Crystal Ocean as a sire plays a part here, but I’d go as far as saying Mourne Crystal is the best horse by him to emerge from the point-to-point scene this season. That’s a big statement, especially with the number of promising Crystal Ocean progeny coming through, but I really do think this horse could be something special.

What impressed me most at Portrush was how easily he travelled throughout the race. Turning for home, he barely needed to be asked to extend before taking control, and he did it all on his own terms.

He jumped like a stag and powered up the home straight to win by a very comfortable nine lengths. There was a lovely combination of speed and stamina on show, and he looked a very professional, race-ready horse for his debut.

Willie Mullins was clearly taken by the performance too, spending £190,000 on the well-beaten runner-up, Igoldinof. As for Mourne Crystal, he isn’t the biggest physically, but I loved what I saw. He travelled beautifully, jumped exceptionally well and showed a turn of foot that really caught my eye.

He is set to go straight over hurdles, which is exactly what I wanted to hear. I’d be disappointed if he couldn’t reach graded level, and I think he has the potential to put himself in the conversation for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March. He put in the best performance out of any point-to-point horse in my opinion, and hopefully he can achieve something special under rules.

I’m a big, big fan of this horse, and he’s one I’m particularly excited to follow this season.

#5 Matador St Georges

• • Age: 4 years
  • T: Ben Pauling
  • O: Hine Law Racing
  • Form: 1-
  • The Target: Two or three wins in novice hurdle company, hopefully one in Graded company if he can prove up to the level.

I always like to throw a bumper horse from the season prior into the mix, and this time round, it’s going to be Matador St Georges from the Ben Pauling yard. This is a horse owned by Hine Law Racing, an ownership that are purchasing some nice types, with the likes of Mondoui’boy and Last Round already looking like decent animals. They also have some nice new purchases from the point scene, too.

Matador St Georges, however, is clearly the fastest horse they have had to date. He was full of speed when winning his sole bumper run last season at Wetherby, just a couple of weeks after the Cheltenham Festival. Perhaps that is why he has gone a touch unnoticed so far, too.

The form of his bumper win is nothing to shout about on paper, but this isn’t about the form book. This is about the way he moved through the race and how effortlessly quick he looked.

What’s also nice about these late-season bumper winners is that they have just one run in the season, leaving them open to a ton of improvement when they go hurdling the following season, like this gelding.

Also, I think Ben Pauling is generally a good judge of a horse’s potential, and the fact he was happy with just one run, one win, and then put him away generally tells you they think a lot of him.

It’s important to remember, too, that when they are bumper horses like him, who have been planned for a one-run campaign, they are very rarely primed for that one bumper. It’s just not worth it. So, that tells you that whatever he did on the track that day is likely only a small amount of his true ability.

So, he comes from under the radar somewhat, looks full of speed, and I would hope he can improve as a novice hurdler and get competitive at Graded level, too. I’ll nominate him as my number one novice hurdler to follow this season!