Guard Duty – 2nd in 1.40 Newbury 29/11/25
Guard Duty was ridden out the back yet made up a huge amount of ground to get involved after the final hurdle. French Ship who won nicely was pounds ahead of the handicapper so we can mark up this run by Guard Duty. He likes flat courses and needs the runners to go hard up front to allow him reel them in.
I can see this horse taking aim at some good handicap hurdles over the winter at courses like Kempton, Windsor & Aintree. On this run it would be worth trying him over even further than two and a half miles. A five pound hike by the handicapper to 139 is touch when second but deserved following his eye-catching run.
Leader in The Park – 2nd in 12.30 Newbury 29/11/25
Leader In The Park is the horse to take from the Sir Peter O’Sullivan Memorial Handicap Chase. Like the winner Booster Bob it was Leader In The Park’s first run of the season. This horse is a natural jumper over fences and it was only the final fifty yards that he tired badly. It was an encouraging run over two miles, six and a half furlongs.
I had him down as a two and a half miller on a flat course. He looks to have matured and settled better in this race compared to last season. The handicapper has raised him two pounds to 130 which is fine. A handicap chase at Kempton at Christmas over two and a half miles would be ideal. It would allow Ben Jones to really fire him at the fences.
Kurasso Blue – 2nd in 11.45 Thurles 20/11/25
Gordon Elliott has wasted no time in sending Kurasso Blue over fences. This four year old French Bred ran twice over hurdles last spring time. He won on his second run over two miles at Limerick. On this third run in Ireland, Kurasso Blue impressed me by how well he jumped to finish a close second to the more experienced winner Eagle Fang at Thurles.
Kurasso Blue enjoys a pull at the weights until the New Year so I expect we will see him run over the Christmas period. The way he finished off his race at Thurles it is easy to see him tackle three miles for the first time. Kurasso Blue is a big chasing sort that can progress over the season into a graded class novice chaser.
Meetmebythesea – 1st in 2.00 Wetherby 15/11/25
Meetmebythesea won on his first chase start for Ben Pauling. He is a horse I really like as he knows how to win. JP McManus purchased him following his second in an Irish point to point on heavy ground at Monksgrange.It is to the horse’s credit that he won three times over hurdles at two miles.
In March, Meetmybytheseas looked the winner in the EBF Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown over two and a half miles. He jumped to the front only to tire near the line. It was a cracking run for a five year old. He showed his class to win over a mile and seven furlongs at Wetherby on soft ground. A fine big chasing type, it is obvious that Meetmebythesea will be seen to best effect when upped in distance to two and a half miles plus
Irish Panther – 1st in 3.37 Naas 09/11/25
Irish Panther is going to reach a much higher level over fences than hurdles. He did well over hurdles last season. He finished third in listed handicap hurdles at the Dublin and Punchestown Festivals.
Irish Panther returned this season with an easy win over hurdles at Clonmel. That win at Clonmel was impressive but not as much so as his eighth length win over fences at Naas in a two mile beginners chase. He jumped like a natural and earned a racing post rating of 140! Two miles is his distance and he can land a graded chase this season for sure.
They Call Me Hugo – 1st in 1.40 Ffos Las 09/11/25
Olly Murphy has a good novice hurdler on his hands with They Call Me Hugo. He finished third in an Irish Point before winning on his second run for Bloodstock agent Tom Malone in the UK. Tom will have turned a nice few bob selling him on to his current connections.
They Call Me Hugo came clear with runner up Iniscorker, staying the two and a half miles on soft ground the strongest. He jumped great and can progress into a high class three mile novice hurdler later in the season.
Sober Glory – 1st in 2.30 Chepstow 05/11/25
Sober Glory is unbeaten in four racecourse runs and an Irish point to point. Cormac Doyle trained him to win a three mile point at Tinahely on heavy ground. He showed speed to win three bumpers including a listed bumper on soft ground last season. Sober Glory was heavily backed and duly bolted up to win his maiden hurdle at Chepstow over two miles.
There is no doubt he will stay further but for now they are keeping him to two miles with soft in the going description. Philip Hobbs said the following after his hurdles win “He really is exciting and probably the best one we’ve had for a long time”! Earlier days I know so let’s see if Sober Glory can keep winning and progressing to a Ballymore Hurdle type next March
Blow Your Wad – 3rd in 3.45 Ascot 01/11/25
Blow Your Wad has always done his winning over two and a half miles on flat courses like Kempton and Newbury. This run shows he has matured and stays three miles fine. He made a bad mistake eight fences out but rallied well having at times come off the bridle.
The Sodexo Chase is a proper handicap chase. Blow The Wad stayed on gamely to the line gaining ground from the last fence. I think the ground was plenty quick for him at Ascot and on good to soft ground he is a big player in three mile handicap chases.
Alexei – 1st in 3.10 Ascot 01/11/25
Alexei improved massively to win this competitive handicap hurdle. He finished well for second place previously in the Welsh Champion Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow. All his runs in the UK have been on good or good to soft ground.
The handicapper has raised him seven pounds for his Ascot win to a mark of 134. That is fine and if the ground stays decent, Alexei looks to have a strong chance in the Greatwood hurdle at the Cheltenham November meeting. He is only five and has won three of his six runs over hurdles.
No Questions Asked – 1st in 1.30 Ascot 01/11/25
Ben Pauling has another natural chaser on his hands like Henry’s Friend. No Questions Asked won a three runner novice chase at Ascot in great style. He jumped quick and clean and quickened away from the second approaching the last fence.
He did well as a hurdler finishing second in a listed race at Huntingdon. Ben said he wasn’t a natural hurdler and he was pleasantly surprised how well he jumped the big fences at Ascot. A Novice chaser who can land a graded novice chase between two and two and half miles this season.
Eye Catchers November 2025
Free Horse Trackers
There are several good horse trackers available to Punters. These trackers can be used to receive alerts on the eye catchers listed above. Some are free while others require a subscription such as with the racing post.
Below are links to some of the better free Horse Trackers available to punters.