Horse racing tips: Chasers to follow for the 2023/2024 season

The Jumps Season is getting into full swing, and renowned Tipster and Broadcaster Ed Quigley aka 'Longshot Ted' selects 5 horses who he thinks will pay to follow over fences throughout the winter and beyond...

Chasers to watch out for - a quick overview

• Gerri Colombe
• El Fabiolo
• Inthepocket
• Ballygrifincottage
• Giovinco

Chasers to follow for the 2023/2024 jump season

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Gerri Colombe (Gordon Elliott)

Galopin Des Champs is the one they all have to aim at to get to the top of the tree in the staying-chase division and rightfully so. However, the new kid on the block GERRI COLOMBE looks to be the one rising out of the novice ranks to give the established stars the most to think about.

The Gordon Elliot trained 7-year-old has oozed class throughout his career, with the only defeat so far coming at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, when beaten a shot-head by The Real Whacker in a race that was agonizing for all connections of Gerri Colombe. It looked as though with an extra few strides, he would have reeled in his rival and kept his unbeaten record intact.

Subsequently, he came out and absolutely romped home at Aintree, when he turned the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase into a procession. He will be tackling all the top-level staying chases this season, with a trip to Down Royal on November 4 a likely first port of call. It isn't hard to envisage him lining up in a Cheltenham Gold Cup with a serious chance, where one would imagine that the extended 3m2f on Cheltenham's New Course would be absolutely ideal for this gelding who won't be found wanting for stamina.

He appears to have that lovely eclectic blend of class and stamina, jumps well, and appears to be improving; it won't shock me if he gets his way into the winners' enclosure in March. 

He looks to have it all doesn't he? EL FABIOLO is the youngblood in the 2m Chasing scene, and whilst he has a long way to go in order to match the achievements of Energumene, he has the younger, fresher legs and will take some stopping this season.

Unbeaten in all four starts over fences, he has won them by an aggregate for 45 lengths, winning three Grade 1's, including The Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in superb fashion when dispatching Jonbon with the minimum of fuss. It will be fascinating to see how El Fabiolo is campaigned, but it is hard to see him going anywhere other than the top two mile contests where at some point he will have to lock horns with his illustrious stablemate Energumene.

Energumene is rising 10, and you just wonder whether the new breed of 2 milers may start to ask some serious questions of him. El Fabiolo will certainly pose plenty of questions, and my strong suspicion is that he will have all the answers if they go toe-to-toe in this season's Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Inthepocket (Henry De Bromhead)

Henry De Bromhead has a smashing record with his two mile Chasers, and I will be excited to see INTHEPOCKET over a fence this season, where I could easily see him making up into an Arkle or Turners candidate. A winner of three of his five starts over Hurdles, he scored at the highest level on his final start of the season, taking care of business in the Grade 1 Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree. Previously to that, he ran a cracker to finish fourth in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, jumping and travelling nicely despite not getting the clearest of runs in what was a bit of a messy encounter. A strong traveller over the minimum trip, but with confirmed stamina in the locker (has won over 2m4f), I think he can take his form to new levels once heading over the larger obstacles. He looks as though he could easily be versatile in regards to trip and ground and there should be plenty more to come from this striking looking 6-year-old. 

Ballygrifincottage (Dan Skelton)

The Dan Skelton trained BALLYGRIFINCOTTAGE looked sensational on his chase debut, but has disappointed subsequently. However, a wind issue was noticed, and according to trainer Dan Skelton, he has returned in rude health, and all being well he now has a horse with a clean bill of health on his hands following a wind operation and a summer to recuperate.

Off 143 and when the mud is flying, he really is a horse I would want to have onside, where if he is over his physical ailments, he can be a major threat to all in races requiring an extreme test of stamina.

Team Skelton have already mooted the possibility of trying to get him ready for the Welsh Grand National, where the likelihood of deep ground and a marathon trip would be ideal for him.

One would imagine he will have a couple of spins over obstacles before hand, possibly even over Hurdles will get him in peak condition for the big staying tests that lie ahead. 

Giovinco (Lucinda Russell)

This lad brings the "could be anything" factor into the equation, as the lightly-raced GIOVINCO is set to go over fences this term, and could be a Novice Chaser who has a touch of star quality about him.

Unbeaten in three starts over Hurdles, it has all looked effortless at times for this son of Walk In The Park, who was last seen absolutely pulverising the field in a Listed contest at Perth back in April.

It was the second start on the bounce where he didn't need to come out of first gear to get the job done, and he thoroughly impressed in the way in which he went about his business. Set to embark on a chasing career imminently, he looks to have the physical stamp of an individual who will thrive over fences.

Lucinda Russell has stated that her charge will be out soon and the Scottish raider could easily make his presence felt in the staying novice chase scene. 

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