Paul Nicholls 2024/25 National Hunt Season Preview: Five Chasers to follow

• Paul Nicholls five chaers to follow for the 2024/25 season

• Hoping for some good ground for Bravemansgame this season

• Ginny's Destiny can have another good season and could go for King George

• Would love to try three miles with Pic D'Orhy and Stage Star

• The Grand National the long-term aim for Stay Away Fay

The 2024/25 National Hunt season is now on the horizon and Betfair amabassador Paul Nicholls has outlined five chasers to keep on side during the campaign. The Ditcheat handler outlines their targets for the year whilst also going into depth on how they have summered during the off-season.

🏇 Bravemansgame
🏇 Ginnys Destiny
🏇 Pic D'orhy
🏇 Stage Star
🏇 Stay Away Fay@PFNicholls has some serious Chasers in the yard ready to go this season! pic.twitter.com/jF238DwMB3

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) October 12, 2024

Bravemansgame

"He's in good shape. That plan with him is to go for the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. He'll have an entry at Down Royal the same day, just to cover ourselves.

"I just hope the ground's good, the most important thing for him is the ground, it was soft every time we ran last year, if we can get some good ground then that will be a massive help for him."

Ginny's Destiny

"Had a fantastic season last year, his first year with us, he won three Cheltenham novice on the trot. He ran very well in the Spring, he was second in the Turners and then he was second in the Grade 1 at Aintree, so he had a fantastic first season.

"The plan this year is to start him off at Newton Abbot in an intermediate chase on 19 October and then after that he'll obviously have an entry in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

"He's very much in the same mould, same rating as Stage Star last year, loves Cheltenham, jumps really well, and hopefully we'll have a good season again with him.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we entered him in something like the King George later on as I'm sure he'll be even better over three miles."

Pic D'orhy

"He's been a wonderful servant for us, he's won so many good races. He's in really good shape, he's done well during the summer and the plan is to start him off at Ascot like he did last year.

"The options will be very much as last year, so the Silviniaco Chase after Christmas, Ascot again in the spring, his races are pretty well mapped out for him.

"I would love to try him over three miles one day but I'm very very happy where he is at the moment."

Stage Star

"He won nicely in the Paddy Power Gold Cup when he was fresh. He's in seriously good order.

"My thinking at the moment is he has to go left-handed, we might look at starting him in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree at the end of October, which will be a nice starting point for him. After that's it's not quite as easy as in the Paddy Power Gold Cup he'd have a huge weight, but we'll still give him an entry.

"As he needs to go left-handed it's a little bit difficult so we might even look at Ireland over Christmas, and I'd love to try him over three miles one day."

Stay Away Fay

"He started the season off very well last year, winning at Exeter and Sandown, ran very well at Cheltenham on trials day, but sort of lost his form a bit afterwards and I don't think he was ever right, he obviously wasn't quite right in the spring.

"We sent him off for a wind op, so he's a little bit behind the others, but he's doing lots of hard work. The plan for him this year is to aim him at the National, he'll have a Grand National entry when that comes up after Christmas.

"Where we start him before I don't know, we could even give him one run over hurdles or possibly even look at the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury."

Listen to Paul Nicholls Jumps Season Preview with Betfair: What's new for Team Ditcheat, top targets and runners to follow