Gordon Elliott: Five horses to follow this season
Top Irish trainer Gordon Elliott will once again be a man to follow when he unleashes his most promising National Hunt prospects this season.
Elliott dominates the landscape in the Republic of Ireland with main rival Willie Mullins, and the pair are feared by the bookmakers when the big meetings are staged.
With that in mind we look at five horses from Elliott’s stable who could take high rank in novice hurdles and steeplechases this term.
Bleu De Vassy
A quick look at the latest horse racing odds for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival highlights that Bleu De Vassy could be well worth following this season.
The five-year-old made a massive impression on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse last month, staying on strongly to win by 25 lengths.
His performance forced the bookmakers to slash his ante-post odds in several Cheltenham markets and it would be no surprise if he ran at the meeting next March.
Elliott is targeting a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Navan for the horse’s next run in November and another victory would have connections dreaming about even bigger successes.
Firefox
Firefox went into plenty of notebooks after beating Ballyburn over hurdles at Fairyhouse, but he subsequently came up short in four Grade 1 events.
However, he ran with credit on each occasion and was strongly fancied to make a winning return over larger obstacles at Down Royal last month.
He got the job done with the minimum of fuss and looks to have the physique to become one of the top two-mile chasers this season.
Elliott has waxed lyrical about the horse’s schooling and believes he could be good enough run in the Arkle Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham next spring.
Romeo Coolio
Romeo Coolio was another eye-catching winner for Elliott at Down Royal, romping home 18 lengths clear of a big field of maiden hurdlers.
The horse previously won a point-to-point in March 2023 before changing hands for £420,000. He subsequently finished second in the 2024 Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.
The five-year-old was then a little disappointing at the Punchestown Festival, but looked to have strengthened up significantly on his hurdling debut.
Romeo Coolio’s lofty price tag suggests connections think they have a good horse on their hands and it will be intriguing to see how he progresses this season.
Better Days Ahead
Better Days Ahead won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, before running third in a Grade 1 at Punchestown.
The six-year-old has impressed with his schooling over larger obstacles and is expected to make his seasonal reappearance over the next few weeks.
Elliott’s charge is already prominent in the betting for the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and he should be one to follow in staying chases this season.
The trainer described Better Days Ahead as ‘a big chaser’ following his Cheltenham victory and this is the type of horse he tends to excel with.
Wingmen
Wingmen was an impressive point-to-point winner, before claiming victory in two of his three starts in bumpers including a hot race at Punchestown.
The six-year-old ran a little too freely last season, but Elliott has confirmed that he has learned to settle down during his summer schooling sessions.
The horse will likely start over two miles this season, although a step up to two-and-a-half is expected to happen sooner rather than later.
Odds of 25/1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham look tempting given Wingmen’s potential and he is another prospect worth monitoring this season.