Gordon Elliott’s Stable Top 10 – Season Preview

We had a great season with Don Cossack last year, when he finished up in the Punchestown Gold Cup, having started off in Grade 3 at Punchestown.

He’ll start off next week or the week after in Punchestown in that grade of race again. He’s summered great, looks great and we’re very happy with him. We’ll start him off in Punchestown and, all being well from there, we’ll go to something like the King George.

We’re also very happy with Clarcam, and knew he’d come on a lot from a run in Gowran Park a few days ago.

We’ll look at going to the second season Novice in Downroyal in November. He won two Grade 1 races last year, so if every horse could do that it’d be great.

Tycoon Prince looked very good in bumpers last year and will start off in a Maiden hurdle as soon as we get a bit of rain. He could be an exciting novice hurdler this year and will start off over two miles.

No More Heroes is going to go novice chase, and is in good form and schooling well. Again, we’re waiting for a bit of rain for him. He could run in the next month if we get rain. A long-term target for him is the RSA or a 4 mile chase horse. He’s definitely got a bit of class and we’re looking forward to him.

Free Expression is a very, very nice horse and could be a top staying novice chaser this year. He’d a little tweak last year but he’s back working well, schooling well and we’re just waiting for a bit of rain again. I see him over 2 and a half to 3 miles.

Noble Endeavour was unlucky at Cheltenham. He’s got lots of scope, and he jumps well so he’s going to go novice chase.

Mala Beach had a little problem with his knees after Leopardstown last year.

He’s back working away now, but he could be a horse for something like the Irish Grand National down the road.

We’re going to have Flaxen Flare back for the spring festivals, so he won’t be seen until then.

Bayan will run at Newmarket on Saturday, all being well. He worked well this morning and he’s in good form.

Whistle Dixie, Kicking King’s sister, is a big, scopey mare. She’ll start off in the mares maiden hurdle in a month to six weeks but she’s a big girl and she’ll want a bit of rain as well.