Donn McClean's Horses To Follow: January 22 to January 29

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.

Limerick Lace - Down Royal, 24^th January 2023

Limerick Lace put up a really nice performance to win the rated novices' chase at Down Royal last Tuesday. A little keen early on, Gavin Cromwell's mare travelled well for Luke Dempsey in third place behind a decent pace that Alko Rouge and Irish Blaze set. She moved into second place behind Irish Blaze at the sixth fence and she travelled well down the hill to the second last fence in the leader's slipstream as the pair of them moved clear of their rivals. She joined the leader at the second last, moved into the lead on the run to the last, and she picked up well on the run-in to go away and win by eight lengths from Irish Blaze, who was well clear of the rest.

There was an awful lot to like about this performance by JP McManus' mare. Her jumping was very good, she travelled really well, and you could have called her as the most likely winner from a long way out. It was only her third chase too, she has plenty of scope to continue progressing. From a really good family, a full-sister to Inothewayurthinkin and a half-sister to Ilikedwayurthinkin and Ulster National winner Spades Are Trumps, all bred by Noreen McManus and owned by JP McManus and trained by Gavin Cromwell, she was racing off an effective handicap rating of 123 in this rated novices' race, and she has the potential to be better than that mark. She won her maiden hurdle over two and a half miles, but she is a strong traveller and two miles and soft ground over fences seems to suit her well.

Phoenix Way - Cheltenham, 28^th January 2023

Phoenix Way put up a good performance to finish fourth in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Cheltenham on Saturday. Held up early on in a race in which the pace held up well, he made a bad mistake at the first ditch down the back straight final time. Rider Kevin Brogan had both legs on one side of the horse for a stride or two, he did well to keep the partnership intact. Only 12th or 13th as they jumped the last ditch, six out, he wasn't great at the fourth last or third last fences either, and he was still only 10th as they raced to the home turn, but he made good ground around the inside, and he picked up well at the top of the home straight. He had moved into fourth place by the time they got to the second last fence, but his run flattened out from there, and he just kept on to finish fourth.

it was still a fine performance by Harry Fry's horse in a race in which the prominent racers did well. The winner and the runner-up, Il Ridoto and Fugitif, were prominent from early, and they finished well clear of the rest of the field. Phoenix Way is 10 now, but he is relatively lightly raced for his age, this was just his 10th chase, and there could still be a good prize in him off this type of mark on this evidence, and the handicapper dropped him by 2lb to a mark of 140, which was a nice bonus. He stays three miles all right, but two and a half miles or thereabouts on soft ground is probably close to optimum for him. He has run really well in both his Ascot races, so he will be of particular interest if and when he returns to the Berkshire track. There is a three-mile handicap chase there on Ascot Chase day later this month, and he would be of interest if he lined up in that.

Sounds Russian - Cheltenham, 28^th January 2023

Sounds Russian ran a big race to finish second behind Ahoy Senor in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday. Travelling well from early in behind the leaders, he moved up on the outside to mix it with Frodon on the front end as they raced down the back straight, and he moved to the front over the fifth last fence. That is a long way from home on the New Course at Cheltenham however, and his cause wasn't helped by a mistake at the tricky fourth last fence, from which he did well to recover. He still led over the third last fence and into the home straight and, challenged by Ahoy Senor at the second last fence, he battled on well, and only gave best inside the final 100 yards.

Most of the post-race attention centred on Ahoy Senor and third-placed Noble Yeats and fourth-placed Protektorat, so the quality of the performance that Sounds Russian put up may have gone a little under the radar. Ruth Jefferson's horse has progressed this season into a high-class staying chaser, he was only just beaten in the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on St Stephen's Day off a mark of 157, when he appeared to get out-paced before staying on well. He may be at his best on a flat track though, and the Betway Bowl at Aintree may be the race for him, more than the Gold Cup. He stays well, and he could be a Grand National horse at some stage.

Hacker Des Places - Cheltenham, 28^th January 2023

Hacker Des Places was probably value for more than the half a length by which he won the concluding two-mile-one-furlong handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. Keen through the early stages of the race, he travelled well down the back straight for Angus Cheleda, just behind the leaders. He jumped the third last flight well, and he moved up into a share of the lead on the run to the second last, moving into the lead as they rounded the home turn. He kicked for home as they straightened up, but that is a long way home on the New Course at Cheltenham. He moved over towards the favoured stands rail, but he drifted off it on the run to the final flight, where he jumped to his left, which left a gap between him and the stands rail through which Might I could challenge. The challenger stayed on well up the hill, and Hacker Des Place drifted towards his left, but he kept going forward, he showed a really willing attitude to keep going as well as he did to get home by a neck.

It was a game performance by Paul Nicholls' horse, who continues to go forward. Third in the Imperial Cup at Sandown last March off a mark of 133, and winner of the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at Aintree's Grand National meeting off the same mark, he had shaped encouragingly on his debut this season in finishing second in a handicap hurdle at Ascot in October off a mark of 138. He had been off since then, but he made light of that absence, and it appears that he is versatile in terms of ground and course configuration. He holds an entry in the Betfair Hurdle next Saturday, a race in which he would be 1lb poorly-in under his 5lb penalty, but he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

Whatcouldhavebeen - Fairyhouse, 28^th January 2023

Noted here two weeks ago when she won her maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse, Whatcouldhavebeen is worthy of another mention now after another big run in the Grade 3 Solerina Novice Hurdle back at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

This was a massive step up in grade for Jarlath Fahey's mare, into a Grade 3 contest after winning a maiden, and taking on Ashroe Diamond and Halka Du Tabert, and it was a step that almost paid handsome dividends for her connections as she was only beaten a head for third place by Halka Du Tabert, behind Ashroe Diamond. The race wasn't run to suit her either, they didn't go a great pace early on. They were all stacked up as they raced to the home turn and, while Whatcouldhavebeen got caught a little flat-footed when they quickened, she stayed on strongly down the outside to finish fourth, beaten a total of less than three lengths. And she might have finished third had she not been slightly impeded when the winner jumped to her left in front of her at the final flight.

It was obviously worth a go at black type here, even though she was a 40/1 shot, but, as noted two weeks ago, Whatcouldhavebeen could improve now for a step up in trip. She stayed the extended two and a quarter miles well last time, and she was going on again at the finish once more here over the same course and distance. A winner over a mile and a half on soft ground on the flat, a 72-rated performer on the flat, she will be of interest now again over hurdles wherever she goes, especially if she steps up in trip. She is only five and has raced just four times over hurdles, so she retains plenty of scope for progression.