El Fabiolo- 1st in 2.05 Punchestown 31/12/25
El Fabiolo won well at Punchestown on New Years Eve back hurdling. He is a top class racehorse. As a novice chaser he won three Grade 1 novice chases. They included the Irish Arkle and Cheltenham Arkle races. Jonbon and Banbridge couldn’t beat him that year. Last year it all went wrong with El Fabiolo falling three times in a row. Connections have left chasing along to get El Fabiolo back to winning again.
El Fabiolo hurdled well at Punchestown and looked best at around two and a half miles. The Aintree hurdle instead of the champion hurdle looks like the ideal race for this horse in the spring. A run in the Red Mills hurdle at Gowran Park in February would tee him up nicely for the Aintree Festival.
The Big Westerner- 1st in 1.27 Limerick 27/12/25
Henry De Bromhead has a proper staying chaser on his hands with The Big Westerner. This mare jumps fences for fun and did it the hard way to win at Limerick over Christmas. Mike O’Connor rode with the stable number one, Darragh O’Keeffe on duty at Leopardstown. It was very straight forward with The Big Westerner jumping great up the far side and then powering him to outstay her main rival, Jade De Grugy. It was an improved run following her second to Jimmy Du Seuil at Fairyhouse.
We know The Big Westerner is a stayer as she finished second in the Albert Bartlett hurdle at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. The Grade 1 Brown Advisory Chase against the boys is the obvious race for her over three miles at the Festival. The Mares chase is too short at two miles four and a half furlongs. She handles good to soft ground but is much better on deeper ground. If the ground turned up soft or worse in March then she would give the boys a massive race getting the seven pounds mares allowance. Longer term, she is a National horse who looks like she will stay forever.
Kinturk Kalanisi- 3rd in 3.00 Leopardstown 27/12/25
Kinturk Kalanisi has a big pot in him for sure over fences. He ran a massive race on his first run of the season to finish third in the Paddy Power handicap chase. Kinturk Kalanisi travelled best into the finishing straight and it was just the lack of a run that saw him tire from the last fence to the finishing line. In fairness to the horse he plugged on gamely to get third place. A three pound rise in the ratings (138) if fair enough for another unexposed second season chaser.
Last season he looked like a winner in the Leinster National at Naas only to tip up at the second last fence. That run came after he finished second in a beginners chase over three miles on soft ground at Navan won by Three Card Brag. Three Card Brag is rated 156 while the third placed Captain Cody is rated 150 now. Surely, Kinturk Kalanisi is a well handicapped horse on 138. He could go the Irish National route with a return for the Leinster National beforehand.
Talk The Talk – Fell in 1.47 Leopardstown 27/12/25
Talk The Talk looks like the best two miler hurdler from those that have run so far. Sam Ewing enjoyed a great run of results over Christmas and in hindsight would not have asked Talk The Talk for a big effort at the final hurdle. Talk The Talk had quickened from a sloppy jump at the second last hurdle and a forced switch off the rail to run down leader Skylight Hustle.
Talk The Talk was asked for a big jump at the last and jumped it too big landing steeply and unable to stay up! Thankfully, the horse is fine and it was a cracking run by a four year old against older horses. He will not enjoy a pull at the weights in 2026 having turned five however remains a very exciting and fast two mile hurdler.
Fortunate Man- 1st in 2.15 Aintree 26/12/25
A winning return for Fortunate Man on his first run of the season after a break of 286 days. This was Fortunate Man’s second win over three miles and a furlong at Aintree. There is no doubt this horse has his quirks with headgear necessary to get the best from him. Last season he won here getting the better of Gustavian who franked that form with a win in the Badger Beers handicap chase in November.
Fortunate Man jumped well and was winning for the second time from seven runs over fences. JP McManus spent €210,000 to purchase the winning point to pointer. There is a good staying handicap chase to be won by this horse this season. He could target the Midlands National at Uttoxeter or even the Kim Muir Chase at the Cheltenham Festival This horse remains unexposed with the handicapper raising him only four pounds to a mark of 128.
Regents’s Stroll- 1st in 12.30 Wincanton 16/12/25
Regent’s Stroll finally showed some maturity to win easily on his second run over fences. The hood was back on following his defeat at Newbury behind Wendigo and No Questions Answered. Regent’s Stroll pulled like a tank for over half of that Newbury race and it was his class that saw him finish not far behind Wendigo.
Paul Nicholls loves this horse and I can see why as he has bags of talent and jumps great. He is a Grade 1 Novice Chaser in my opinion. Paul and his connections enjoy great results with their horses at the Aintree Festival which could well be preferred ahead of the Cheltenham Festival this season.
Jagwar – 3rd in 1.50 Cheltenham 13/12/25
Jagwar was a big eyecatcher in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham. It was his first run of the season and he ran a mighty race giving lots of weight to his rivals. A nod on landing at the sixth fence didn’t help however he jumped well in the main showing lots of scope.
Jagwar won twice over this distance at Cheltenham last season, including the plate at the festival. This run again proved he goes well at this course and is crying out for a step up in distance. I doubt he is ready for the Ryanair Chase or Gold Cup so the obvious target would be the Ultima Handicap Chase on day one of the festival.
McLaurey- 3rd in 11.30 Fairyhouse 13/12/25
McLaurey is on target to land some nice prizes over fences this season. He has run twice over fences this season without being ridden hard. That is handicapping and it’s a case of job done, with an opening handicap mark of 131. He won twice over hurdles last season at Limerick over Christmas and then a listed handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
There is no doubt in my mind that this former Irish point to pointer is going to reach greater heights over fences. He handles soft ground and jumps well. He is a horse worth backing when upped in distance to two and a half miles next year in the spring festivals.
Pure Steel- 1st in 11.50 Punchestown 11/12/25
Jimmy Mangan has found another good chaser in Pure Steel. He came forward massively from his first chase for a win at Punchestown. Pure Steel is a natural over fences and it takes a horse with some speed to win around Punchestown. Jimmy won the same Punchestown Novice Chase with Spillane’s Tower in 2023.
It will be interesting to see if the JP McManus owner Pure Steel follows the same route as Spillane’s Tower who ended his novice season by winning the Grade 1 WillowWarm Gold Cup at the Fairyhouse Festival. That is a long way off at the moment however Pure Steel is up to a rating of 139 so it would only take another good win to say for sure that this is a novice chaser who can win Grade 1 or 2 novice chase races.
Charismatic Kid – 1st in 3.27 Navan 06/12/25
Charismatic Kid won from pillar to post on his first run in a bumper. It takes a proper genuine horse to lead all the way to win on heavy ground at Navan. It was a cracking run with winning jockey Ray Barron saying “he’s as good a horse I’ve sat on for a long time”.
The owners decided to cash in putting Charismatic Kid up for sale at the Cheltenham December Sale. Gordon Elliott won out by buying Charismatic Kid for £300,000. We can expect plenty of improvement once Gordon works his magic on this son of Affinisea. If Charismatic Kid can progress to win next time out then he will become a genuine champion bumper contender be that at Cheltenham, Aintree or Punchestown next spring.
Kikijo- 1st in 1.20 Sandown 06/12/25
Kikijo won the pertemps qualifier at Sandown so he’s qualified for the final at the Cheltenham Festival. He won rather comfortably here and looks like a horse that remains ahead of the handicapper. A seven pound hike to a mark of 134 is perfect for getting in at the foot of the weights in the final next march.
Kikijo won around the Cheltenham old course at the November meeting and is a strong stayer over three miles. Soft ground suits him best but he has run well on good ground too. It will be interesting to see if joint trainers Philip Hobbs and Johnson White give him a break now (protect current mark) and then build him back up for his next run in the Pertemps Final next march.
Salver – 1st in 2.20 Sandown 05/12/25
Salver has always looked like a chaser in the making since his Juvenile hurdle days. He won the Grade 2 Juvenile hurdle at Chepstow and finished third in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham won by Majborough. That is strong form and it was always going to be tough for a five year old in open hurdles last season. Sent chasing by the Moore team he ran a solid third behind Lulamba at Exeter over two miles and some.
I think everyone was surprised by the massive step forward he took at Sandown to win the novice Grade 2 Chase by twelve lengths. It was a proper run and the key for this horse is winter ground. He could turn out at Kempton after Christmas in their Grade 1 Novice chase over three miles. The softer the better it would suit Salver who looks like a Grade 1 novice chaser in waiting.
Parnell Street – 1st in 1.35 Clonmel 02/12/25
Parnell Street is a half-brother of Twinjets who won so well at Newbury recently for Paul Nicholls. Parnell Street is looking promising, winning on his second run over hurdles. He is a big chasing sort who handles the heavy ground at Clonmel no problem.
Andy Slattery who trains says they will keep him on the go and target a race at Limerick over the Christmas period. The fact he has proven he handles heavy ground is a big positive as Limerick at Christmas is usually winter heavy ground. A novice hurdle can fall the way of Parnell Street.
Eye Catchers December 2025
Free Horse Trackers
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