The 2022-2023 Jumps season is kicking into gear and with it, the Tote Ten to Follow competition is upon us. As usual, your task is to pick a stable of ten horses to score as many big race points as possible throughout the season.
Below you’ll find four Bonus Race bankers, who look sure to be heavy hitting scorers in the competition this season, particularly in the all-important Ten to Follow Bonus races.
Enter your Ten To Follow stable here
How do horses score points?
Horses score points by winning and being placed in races taking place during the competition. The score is based on a combination of points based on the group of the race and the Tote dividend of your successful selection.
You score more points the better the grade of race, and there are 21 bonus races where bonus points are scored.
Points are awarded as follows:
Grade 1 win - 25 points
Grade 2 win - 20 points
Grade 3 win - 15 points
Listed win - 12 points
Any other race win - 10 points
An additional 25 points are awarded to winners, and 12 points are awarded to the runners-up in the 21 bonus races.
What are the Ten To Follow bonus races?
- Betfair Chase (Haydock)
- Coral Gold Cup (Newbury)
- Tingle Creek Chase (Sandown)
- King George VI Chase (Kempton)
- Welsh Grand National (Chepstow),
- Savills Chase (Leopardstown)
- Irish Champion Hurdle (Leopardstown)
- Irish Gold Cup (Leopardstown)
- Betfair Hurdle (Newbury)
- Arkle Chase (Cheltenham)
- Champion Hurdle (Cheltenham)
- Queen Mother Champion Chase (Cheltenham)
- Brown Advisory Chase (formerly the RSA Chase) (Cheltenham)
- Stayers’ Hurdle (Cheltenham)
- Ryanair Chase (Cheltenham)
- Gold Cup (Cheltenham)
- Betway Bowl (Aintree)
- Aintree Hurdle (Aintree)
- Melling Chase (Aintree)
- Liverpool Stayers’ Hurdle (Aintree)
- Grand National (Aintree)
Which horses should I pick?
A Plus Tard
Trained by Henry de Bromhead | Owned by Cheveley Park Stud
Potential Ten To Follow Bonus Race Targets: Betfair Chase (Haydock), Savills Chase (Leopardstown), Gold Cup (Cheltenham)
If Henry de Bromhead wasn't already loved by everybody in the sport of Jumps racing, then he certainly will be now after so tragically losing his son Jack, a budding jockey, over the summer. There would be no greater sight than to see Henry win a third Cheltenham Gold Cup in a row this season and judging by the performance we saw from A Plus Tard to win it last March, it might taking some stopping if he retains his form this season.
In Ten To Follow terms, he could be a really big points grabber in the bonus races, starting of last year's campaign with an easy win in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, before being narrowly beaten by a short head in the Savills Chase and then bouncing back at the Cheltenham Festival. All three races are bonus races, and given that it worked so well last season, a similar route to the blue ribbon looks likely.
Allaho
Trained by Willie Mullins | Owned by Cheveley Park Stud
Potential Ten To Follow Bonus Race Targets: King George VI Chase (Kempton), Ryanair Chase (Cheltenham)
Certainly in the mix to be the best horse in training right now, Allaho has smashed up the Ryanair Chase in the last two seasons and was arguably better than ever last term, going on to win the Punchestown Gold Cup in April. Originally thought of as a three miler, that was confirmed with plenty in hand at Punchestown and connections are now eyeing up a tilt at the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day at Kempton.
Ante-post markets have him as the one to beat in that, which you'd think may open up the chance of him going for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, although with A Plus Tard belonging to the same owners - Cheveley Park Stud - the Ryanair looks more likely if both horses stay fit and will. Either are bonus races and with Allaho running at least four times in the last couple of seasons, he'll land points away from the bonus races as well.
Honeysuckle
Trained by Henry de Bromhead | Owned by Kenny Alexander
Potential Ten To Follow Bonus Race Targets: Irish Champion Hurdle (Leopardstown), Champion Hurdle (Cheltenham)
For many people the Champion Hurdle division is between two stars this season, Honeysuckle and Constitution Hill, with the latter certainly the new kid on the block. However, with the likes of the Ascot Hurdle, Fighting Fifth and then the Christmas Hurdle on his agenda, he might be short on picking up bonus points with none of those picked as bonus races.
Instead, and with bonus races specifically in mind, Honeysuckle is the better choice and for plenty she'll still be the pick of the two regardless. Her tried and tested route to land Cheltenham Festival successes should be the plan again with the Hatton's Grace secured in 2021 and 2022 before a crack at defending the Irish Champion Hurdle in February and the big one on the Tuesday of the Cheltenham Festival.
Underestimate her at your peril.
Flooring Porter
Trained by Gavin Cromwell | Owned by the Flooring Porter Syndicate
Potential Ten To Follow Bonus Race Targets: Stayers' Hurdle (Cheltenham), Liverpool Stayers' Hurdle (Aintree).
He might be a horse that is known to have a bit of a quirk, but under the watchful eye of Gavin Cromwell and masterful hands of Tote ambassador Danny Mullins, Flooring Porter has a hat-trick of Stayers' Hurdles in his sights. Famously bought through Facebook for £5,000, he has more than repaid his owners and can do the same for your Ten To Follow stable this season.
Cromwell has already confirmed that Cheltenham will be his main target this season, but again, a familiar route of Navan and then the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown await before that. That should hopefully secure points, but it will be his spring assignments that could really bring the goods. Don't forget he was only just beaten in the Liverpool Stayers' Hurdle as well last season, finishing second which still secures TTF bonus points.
