Donn McClean's Horses To Follow: February 6 to February 12

Before we dive in, some basic rules for a horses to follow list is to keep them in a tracker and on your radar for the next three runs, bearing in mind ideal conditions across variables like venue, ground, opposition and price are satisfactory to you as a punter. This column should help you build up a list that proves profitable under those circumstances, provides timely reminders to reduce repeated form study and assist with your enjoyment of a season be it National Hunt or Flat racing in the UK and Ireland and sometimes beyond.

Byker - Naas, February 11th 2023

Byker put up a good performance to finish a close-up third behind Sir Allen in the four-year-olds' rated novices' hurdle that opened proceedings at Naas last Saturday. He was keen through the early stages of the race, but he travelled well into the home straight. 

He travelled best of all on the approach to the second-last flight but just got a little out-paced when the leaders quickened in front of him. Taken towards the outside by Phillip Enright on the run to the final flight, he stayed on well up the run-in to finish third, beaten fewer than two lengths by the winner Sir Allen.

It was a good performance by Charles Byrnes' horse on just his third run over hurdles, conceding weight to the two horses who finished in front of him. Winner of his final race on the flat when he was with Richard Hannon, after which he was awarded a flat rating of 76, he shaped nicely on his debut over hurdles before winning his maiden hurdle at Naas at the end of January. This was a nice step forward from that, and he should be able to continue his progression now.

This is a race that has been a good pointer to the Fred Winter Hurdle in the recent past, with Band Of Outlaws, Aramax and Brazil all winning this race before following up at Cheltenham, and Byker could be a big player in that race so it would be wise to keep an eye on his prices with bookmakers. The Irish handicapper gave him a mark of 124 after this, which should see him get into the Fred Winter on a nice mark, even allowing for the fact that his British rating will undoubtedly be a little higher.

Spillane's Tower - Naas, February 11th 2023

Spillane's Tower ran out a good winner of the two-mile-three-furlong maiden hurdle at Naas last Saturday. Settled nicely by Luke Dempsey just behind the leader early on, Jimmy Mangan's horse made nice progress around the home turn. He wasn't great at the second-last flight, which cost him momentum at a key stage in the race, but he was strong from there. 

He closed on the leaders on the run to the final flight, hit the front with 200 yards to run and stayed on strongly up the hill to win nicely from two useful novices in Franciscan Rock and Teuchters Glory, who stumbled on landing over the final flight, with the three of them clear.

It was a really likeable performance by JP McManus' horse, who was racing for the first time since he ran in a maiden hurdle at Wexford in October. He finished second in that maiden hurdle, beaten just a head by Imagine, who finished second in the Grade 3 For Auction Hurdle on his next run. He made light of that absence, however, and seemed to appreciate the step up in trip to two miles and three furlongs. 

The winning time was over 10 seconds faster than the time that Hands Of Gold clocked in winning the novices' hurdle run over the same course and distance 35 minutes earlier. While that is a little misleading, given that they stood still for a while in the novices' hurdle before they set off, Spillane's Tower was still around three-and-a-half seconds faster from the first flight to the winning line than the novices were. He is an exciting prospect, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

Love Is Golden - Newbury, February 11th 2023

Love Is Golden was impressive in winning the two-mile novices' hurdle at Newbury last Saturday on his debut over hurdles, despite racing keenly for much of the race. He was still keen as they raced out of the back straight, but he jumped the third-last flight well, which took him up into third place.

Russian Ruler appeared to be travelling well in front at that point, but Love Is Golden picked up well when Niall Houlihan asked him to, and he had got the better of Russian Ruler when that rival was unfortunate to come down at the final flight. That left Love Is Golden clear to go away up the run-in and win, eased down, by six lengths from Holetown Hero, who had won his previous two.

This was a nice hurdling debut from Gary Moore's horse. A four-time winner on the flat for Mark and Charlie Johnston, he reached a peak flat rating of 88, and he stayed a mile-and-a-half well. Gelded since his last run on the flat, he jumped well here, and there is every reason to expect that he will improve for this run, his first over hurdles and his first since his final run on the flat last October. 

He should do better too as he learns to settle over hurdles. He holds an entry in the novices' hurdle at Doncaster on Wednesday, and his price on new betting sites will make him an interesting proposition if he lines up in that. His best form on the flat was on good ground, and he won on good to firm, so he will remain of interest now as we move into the spring.

Inothewayurthinkin - Navan, February 12th 2023

Inothewayurthinkin only finished third behind Hunters Yarn in the listed novices' hurdle at Navan on Sunday, but there was a lot to like about the performance that he put up. In the end, Gavin Cromwell’s horse was beaten by almost seven lengths by the winner, but the winner's performance was good enough for bookies to put him into the Supreme Novices' Hurdle picture, and Inothewayurthinkin was only beaten a half a length by Imagine for third. There is room for improvement in his jumping too, and he was held up in a race in which the winner was handy from flagfall.

Fifth of the five runners as they rose to the third-last flight, he landed on all fours over that obstacle, losing momentum just as they were quickening in front. He wasn't great at the second-last either, and he was still last and under a ride as they raced between the final two flights. He got in tight to the final flight too, but he stayed on strongly up the hill, getting past American Mike for third place and just failing to catch Imagine for the runner-up spot.

Winner of his first two runs over hurdles, conqueror of the aforementioned Imagine in the latter, Gavin Cromwell's horse was thought good enough for connections to allow him to take his chance in the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Hurdle in January. He is from a really good family; he is a full brother to Limerick Lace and a half-brother to Ilikedwayurthinkin and Spades Are Trumps - all owned by JP McManus and trained by Gavin Cromwell. 

Spades Are Trumps is an Ulster National winner and Ilikedwayurthinkin has won over two miles and six-and-a-half furlongs, and Inothewayurthinkin shaped here as if he would appreciate a step back up in trip. He has raced just four times, so he has the potential to go beyond his current handicap rating of 137. He could be a horse for the Martin Pipe Hurdle or the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.

Indie Belle - Navan, February 12th 2023

Indie Belle was unlucky in the two-mile-six-and-a-half-furlong handicap hurdle at Navan on Sunday. She did lots right; Aidan Kelly quickly had her into a nice racing and jumping rhythm in front. She had her rivals well stretched out from early, and, while they assembled in behind her on the run across the top of the track, it looked like her rider had held plenty in reserve.

She was still in front on the run to the final flight, apparently still travelling well, which is probably the point at which she traded at 1.8 on exchanges in-running. She was just a little unsure at the final flight, and she stumbled badly on the landing side. She did well to find a leg, and her rider did really well to remain on board. She battled on bravely up the hill to finish sixth in the end behind Wa Wa.

Of course, it is impossible to know where Indie Belle would have finished if she had jumped the final flight well. Robert Widger's mare was run out of it close to home after leading for most of the way on her previous run at Navan - she traded at 1.1 with exchanges in-running that day. However, she wasn't travelling as well down to the final flight that day as she was last Sunday. 

The handicapper left her on her mark of 95, and there is surely a handicap in her now off this mark. Her trainer has her in really good form these days; her last four runs have all been good, and she will be of interest wherever she goes now, over hurdles or over fences. She remains unexposed over fences. She holds entries in two chases at Thurles on Thursday, and she will be of interest if she takes up one of those.