Once something of a rarity, it is increasingly common to see two names listed on a trainer’s licence. More often than not, training duos are blood relatives, and such is the case with the father-son team of Jonjo & A J O’Neill.
Boasting 26 wins at the Cheltenham Festival and a 2010 Grand National triumph, Jonjo will need little introduction to racing fans. 25-year-old A J will be less familiar but appears to have inherited his father’s infectious enthusiasm for the game and has every right to be excited about the season ahead.
Having fallen just shy of the £1m prize money mark in 2023/24, the O’Neills look well placed to break through that barrier in 2024/25, with the novice chase division looking like a particular area of strength.
Here, we pick out the star performers at Jackdaws Castle and highlight the runners we will follow with particular interest as the season unfolds.
Stable Stars
Springwell Bay
This talented hurdler won four of nine starts over the smaller obstacles en route to a rating of 145. Still only seven years of age, he took a little time to warm up on his chase debut this term but was ultimately well on top at the line in a Listed event at Chepstow. A tilt at the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton’s Christmas Festival was picked out as a possible target on the back of that display.
Monbeg Genius
This 147-rated chaser possibly hasn’t gained the big race success his talent deserves since finishing third in a red-hot edition of the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Nothing went right for him last season, but a mark of 144 makes him look interesting for events such as the Classic Chase or Welsh Grand National.
Ten For the Tracker
Established stars may be a little thin on the ground at Jackdaws Castle, but that is partially by design. In recent years, the yard has focussed on recruiting emerging talent, leading to an abundance of promise in the novice spheres. Hopefully, the following ten will help reward this patient approach.
- Bill Joyce – A point-to-point winner in Ireland, this son of Mahler rattled off two Bumper successes before flopping in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. However, he wouldn’t be the first horse to bounce back from a poor showing in that race and made an effortless transition to hurdles when scoring at Carlisle in October. Whilst likely to be at his best when tackling a fence, we like his chances of climbing the staying hurdle ladder this season.
- Circuit Breaker – Flat star Nathaniel has emerged as a National Hunt sire of note in recent years thanks to the exploits of Zanahiyr, Kitty’s Light, Burning Victory, and others. Whether Circuit Breaker hits those heights remains to be seen, but this ex-flat winner made an excellent impression when scoring by 16 lengths on his hurdling debut.
- Flamingo Grove – Snapped up for £150,000 following an 8l Point-to-Point win in April, this Blue Bresil mare is a half-sister to the 153-rated Pistol Whipped and looks the type to move up to Listed level at least.
- Highlands Legacy – Consistent without winning in Bumpers last season, this Kayf Tara gelding ran right away with a heavy ground Class 4 event on hurdles debut at Southwell. He found the going too quick when attempting to follow up at Warwick but looks potentially well-handicapped off 112 when faced with testing conditions.
- Jonnnywho – This JP McManus runner ran well in hot hurdles contests throughout 2023/24 but always looked like a chaser in the making. As such, it was no surprise to see him score in effortless style on his chase debut at Kempton. A notch below the top tier over the smaller obstacles, we like his chances of scoring in Graded company this term.
- Mister Meggit – This son of Shantou was one of last season’s more eye-catching bumper performers. Showing both speed and staying power when landing back-to-back events at Carlisle and Doncaster, his final effort can be safely ignored as he was all but brought down in the big Grade 2 at Aintree. Returning with a fluent hurdles success at that track in November, he looks well placed to progress through the Novice Hurdle ranks.
- Saint Davy – Purchased with a career over fences in mind, Saint Davy enjoyed a productive campaign over hurdles – picking up wins at Ludlow and a Grade 3 at Sandown. Set to tackle fences this term, he can build on his hurdles rating of 135.
- Tellherthename – This five-year-old son of Malinas is an intriguing recruit from the Ben Pauling operation. An impressive winner of his Point-to-Point in 2023, he won two of five starts in his novice hurdle campaign. A confirmed good ground performer, two of his three defeats are easily excused due to the soft ground. Likely to have considerable improvement to come, he looks well handicapped off 135.
- We’re Red And Blue – Blue Bresil youngster who has progressed with each of his three outings this season – culminating in a tough win from the front at Carlisle. It will be interesting to see what the handicapper makes of that effort, but with the Betfair Hurdle mentioned as a long-term goal, he looks worth following in the early stages of the season.
- Wilful – Bumper winner who has won three of four starts over hurdles. The Lanzarote Hurdle has been mentioned as a big target, which suggests he is a bit better than his current mark of 125. One to follow as he moves up the handicap.
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
Paul Harrison
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