Old Gold Racing's 2025/26 National Hunt Season Preview

Old Gold Racing preview their ones to watch, star horses and more as the 2025/26 National Hunt Season gets underway.

Apple Away looks for her
best season to date as she leads
Old Gold Racing's string this season..

There’s a clear place to start here, with the winner of the 2023 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, Apple Away.
Now in her fourth campaign with Lucinda Russell and Old Gold Racing, she comes into this one with a point to prove.

When Apple won the Listed Chase at Perth in April ‘24, she showed that she has the quality to fight it out amongst some really good company, and Old Gold Racing’s army of owners will be right behind her for some big races in the coming months.

Trainer Talk

“Apple Away has done really well over the summer and we’re excited to get her back racing. We haven’t seen her since that strange day of the Midlands National, where the ground left a lot to be desired. She’s in fine form at home and we’re readying her for hopefully another really good season. While she always gave her best, she didn’t manage to get her head in front last term, so we’ll be looking to change that.”

“The plan for the season will be to aim her at a similar set of mares’ races, with a few other targets thrown in across the campaign. We’re considering starting her off in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November. While it’s an open Grade One, we think the track ought to suit her and it should be a nice starting point. There’s a nice Listed mares’ chase at Market Rasen at the end of November which we were second in last year. We’d like to think we could go one better.”

“We’d been open about our intention to work back from the Scottish Grand National last season, but unfortunately the ground wasn’t right for her to take her chance. Hopefully that can be a target we look at again come the spring.”

Old Gold Racing’s first syndicate outside of the UK certainly caught the eye earlier this year, with the winning Point-to-Pointer Fedneys Park bought for 82,000gns, before heading to the masterful Henry
de Bromhead.

Fedneys Park’s breeding and previous Point-to-Point form, coupled with the reputation of Mr. De Bromhead, will no doubt have syndicate owners fantasizing about glamorous days out at some of the bigger festivals.

Fedneys Park finished well placed in third on her debut run, and also features in Jodie Standing’s Point-To-Point Recruits to Follow for the 2025/26 season.

Old Gold Racing's most expensive purchase yet, now in training with 14x Champion Trainer, Paul Nicholls, Outmaster was rated as the leading 4yo Point-to-Pointer in the UK for the 2024/25 season. He was also the only 4yo in British Pointing to achieve a mark of over 100.

Outmaster won on debut at Edgcote in April 2025. He was strongly fancied that day, and he duly obliged, scoring easily by 12 Lengths, being eased up after the final fence.

Outmaster has been entered for his first race in the National Hunt Flat Race on Saturday 25th October at the Cheltenham Showcase Meeting, and also features in Jodie Standing’s Point-To-Point Recruits to Follow for the 2025/26 season.

A winning pointer by the stallion Frontiersman, DropEmAtTheStation won his most recent Point-to-Point at Knightwick in style. The horse he beat by three lengths into second looks a talent and has since achieved a rating of 115 in Ireland.

Yet to make his debut under rules, DropEmAtTheStation has come back well for his summer break and trainer Ben Pauling is excited to see what the upcoming season will bring.

DropEmAtTheStation has also been included in Jodie Standing’s Point-To-Point Recruits To Follow for the 2025/26 season.

Coming into the 25/26 season off the back of a solid debut campaign is John Barbour, trained by Fergal O’Brien.

John Barbour finished in the top three in five of his six races for Old Gold Racing last season, winning twice.

There’s plenty for the Ravenswell yard to look forward to with this quirky gelding, and although he’s missed out on his early season target of the Grade 2 Persian War at Chepstow, he will no doubt be a big player in the near future.

Trainer Talk

“We’re looking forward to this season. We’ve got a race for him at the end of September and then he’ll roll onto the rest of the season. He’s in great form, looks fantastic and he’s much stronger than last season!”

Spadestep managed to fit in two runs towards the end of last season, finishing second by a neck on both occasions.

His seasonal reappearance in October showed what Spadestep has to offer when winning comfortably at Hexham.

With trainer Lucinda Russell commenting “I think this is one of the nicest horses we’ve got, certainly one of the nicest novices!”

Coming into his novice hurdling campaign off the back of two consecutive bumper wins is the Rebecca Menzies trained gelding, SwingingOnTheSteel.

Balloted out of a showstopping end of season finale in the Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open NH Flat Race at Aintree, SwingingOnTheSteel coasted to victory on the same day at Sedgefield.

SwingingOnTheSteel has attracted quite a following in the north-east, and Old Gold Racing will be hoping to have plenty more successes over the course of next season.

He also features in Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow for the 2025/26 season.

Trainer Talk

“Sonny has done nothing wrong in his races to date and has a hardy willing attitude. His schooling was excellent before we turned him away and he proved to be very much a natural over an obstacle. I would be looking forward to him in 2 1/2 novice hurdles this season & he will likely start in those during the first half of October, possibly at Kelso.”

Off the mark over hurdles on his last run at Ffos Las, Akimos gave Old Gold Racing their first winner with Nicky Henderson in April, and they will be hoping that plenty more are on the horizon.

Another with just three races under his belt, there’s still plenty to learn for the eye-catching grey, but his turn-of-hoof last time out to stay on under Paul O’Brien will provide optimism for 2025/26.

Akimos also features in Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow for the 2025/26 season.

Trainer Talk

“As you can see, he’s a chaser. He’s a very very good jumper, he’s an exceptional jumper.”

“He’s only had three runs in his life, we ought to see where he is over hurdles and then switch to chasing. Chasing is going to be the name of the game, probably sooner rather than later.”

She’s Delighted has looked very impressive so far at Fergal O’Brien Racing. Despite boasting Point-to-Point form of 211, She’s Delighted has flown under the radar.

However, there is plenty of excitement brewing around Ravenswell for her upcoming debut season. With John Barbour’s recent successes fresh in the memory, she could be set to surprise a few.

After a solid debut bumper, the plan will no doubt to go hurdling sooner rather than later.

The Hawkstonian, whose syndicate is a collaboration between Old Gold Racing and Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone brewery, will be hoping to find some extra gears this season.

His performance in bumpers last season was disappointing, but trainer Ben Pauling thinks this is a horse that will relish an obstacle. He’s therefore confident that there’s a lot more to come from this handsome grey in the 2025/26 season.

Written by:

Old Gold Racing

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