From left to right: Il Etait Temps, Inothewayurthinkin and Galopin Des Champs
Here we use Racing Post Ratings to identify the top five performances from the last jumps season and look at where those horses may start off their campaign in 2025-26
Peak seasonal RPR: 175 (when winning the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on January 18)
Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old enjoyed a strong season, winning four of his six starts and earning over £525,000 in prize-money – the second most of any horse last season after Grand National winner Nick Rockett (£574,002).
His top performance on RPRs came when landing the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January, when he made all to score by six and a half lengths from Energumene.
Jonbon would race three more times last season, with a win in the Melling Chase at Aintree in April sandwiched between second-place finishes in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham and Celebration Chase at Sandown.
Where could he start off this season?
Speaking to the Racing Post in a stable tour published last month, Henderson said: “We’re starting again with the same route – the Shloer and Tingle Creek – and then you’d say Clarence House again, but we’ll see. He did stay two and a half miles very well, and it might be that we move up in trip. At the moment it’s down the tried-and-tested route, and he’s in terrific form.”
Peak seasonal RPR: 175 (when winning the Celebration Chase at Sandown on April 26)
Willie Mullins’ grey was a three-time Grade 1-winning novice chaser, but a knee problem kept him out of action for the majority of last season.
He made his belated seasonal debut in the Celebration Chase at Sandown in April, when coming up against top chaser Jonbon and, after travelling strongly under Danny Mullins, he took up the lead jumping the last before powering up the run-in for a five-and-a-half-length success.
Where could he start off this season?
The seven-year-old has been declared to make his seasonal debut in Thursday’s Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase (2.57), where he will be partnered by Paul Townend. His main market rival in the 2m5f contest is stablemate and Topham Chase winner Gentleman De Mee, with last year’s Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles and Grade 2-winning chaser Senecia completing the four-runner field.
Peak seasonal RPR: 177 (when winning the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham on March 13)
Made a winning seasonal debut in last year’s John Durkan before chasing stablemate Galopin Des Champs home in both the Savills Chase and Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Dropped back in trip for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and that appeared to unlock a big chunk of improvement as he ran out an ultra-impressive winner, justifying 6-4 favouritism with a decisive nine-length success. That victory produced an RPR of 177, 6lb above his previous career best.
However, he failed to replicate that performance when trailing home a distant fourth over 2m½f in the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Punchestown when last seen.
Where could he start off this season?
Having ended last season on a sour note, it seems highly likely that Fact To File will be moving back up in trip for his reappearance. Speaking to the Racing Post last month, Mullins said that Fact To File could be targeted at the King George this season, and he may prep for that assignment with a return to Punchestown for the John Durkan on November 23.
Peak seasonal RPR: 181 (when winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28)
The dual Gold Cup hero made a promising reappearance when third to Fact To File in the John Durkan last November before reversing that form emphatically in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown next time, a win that produced an RPR of 181 – the fourth-highest of his career.
He brought his record to seven wins from as many starts over fences at Leopardstown when claiming the Irish Gold Cup next, and atoned for an odds-on Gold Cup defeat at Cheltenham when bolting up at Punchestown in April.
Where could he start off this season?
He was being targeted at the John Durkan, but a setback in his training schedule means that now looks an unlikely starting point this season. If he were to miss that assignment, his comeback is likely to come over Christmas in either the Savills back at Leopardstown or the New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore.
Peak seasonal RPR: 182 (when winning the Gold Cup at Cheltenham on March 14)
Gavin Cromwell’s seven-year-old saw his RPR improve a whopping 19lb on his previous personal best when pulling six lengths clear of Galopin Des Champs to win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham when last seen in March. The RPR of 183 he achieved there is the joint-second-best figure in the Gold Cup in the past decade.
His RPR also improved 22lb from the first to last run of his novice chase campaign, and he appears to be a horse who peaks in the spring.
Where could he start off this season?
In a Racing Post stable tour published on Monday, Cromwell said: “He seems in good shape now and although there’s nothing set in stone yet, he has an entry in the John Durkan and that is the plan at the moment. He started off there last season before running twice at Leopardstown before Cheltenham and could go that route again, but nothing is set in stone.”
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