Paul Nicholls 2025/26 National Hunt Season Preview: Five chasers to follow

• Paul Nicholls identifies five chasers to follow for the 2025/26 season

• Paul on Stage Star's retirement and a healthy summer strike rate

• Kalif Du Berlais aiming to reach top of two mile chasing division

• Excitement about Caldwell Potter with Betfair Chase possible target

• Regent's Stroll can make a lovely novice chaser

---

The 2025/26 National Hunt season is now on the horizon and Betfair ambassador Paul Nicholls has outlined five chasers to keep on side during the campaign. The Ditcheat handler outlines their targets for the year while also discussing Stage Star's retirement and how the summer has gone for the 14-time champion trainer.

---

Paul Nicholls on Stage Star retirement

An amazing horse, he's been fantastic. A tough, genuine horse who ran for the best part of six years, winning two Grade 1s and the Paddy Power Gold Cup. A great horse for the owners' group and the yard.

He had an injury that would normally just keep him off for the year, it wasn't particularly bad, he's not lame in any way at all, but it was just enough of an injury that we had to stop now. Because of his age, if he came back in a year's time he'd be 11 almost, so then where do you go with him?

It was a wise decision by the owners' group to retire him. He'll have a great home and he goes out at the top basically.

Paul Nicholls on a great summer of racing

We've got some nice horses, we've had a great summer, 20 odd winners, they've run well with a 43% strike rate. We'd be happy if we could keep that up! I was dead happy to have 20 winners by 1 October as we haven't had too many to run, so that's a great strike rate. They've gone very well.

And yes, there are a lot of new horses, which we'll talk about over the next few weeks, so we have a good team and we're looking forward to getting going.

---

Kalif Du Berlais

5-y-o bay gelding

NH Form:  1113-F1141-

• Sire: Masked Marvel (UK)
• Dam: Kadika (FR)
• Dam's Sire: Poliglote (UNR)

What a fantastic horse he was last year. He was unlucky not to win first time at Carlisle then he won at Newbury and at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. He got bogged down at Sandown over two-and-a-half miles on heavy ground which was his only disappointing run. We won't be doing that again.

We kept him nice and fresh for Aintree for the Grade 1, he made all and won very nicely. On that form alone he has to improve but he's five-years-old so I think there's a lot of improvement to come both mentally and physically, so yes, I can't wait to get going with him.

At the moment I'm aiming to run him in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter in the first week of November. That's always been a good target, we've always done well with that and horses have gone on to win some decent races.

There's an obvious route for those horses. You could go to the Tingle Creek, then the races at Ascot and then through the spring. But he's got to take another step up the ladder, we need to see that. So you'd want to see him run really well in the Haldon Gold Cup.

If for any reason the ground wasn't right by then we'd look at the Shloer Chase the week after at the Paddy Power meeting. But I think we've got a plan in our mind. He's only five, there's improvement to come, but there has to be to get into that top division of the two milers.

---

Caldwell Potter

7-y-o grey gelding

NH Form:  8-163-211-13211-

• Sire: Martaline (UK)
• Dam: Matnie (FR)
• Dam's Sire: Laveron (UK)

You can always dream (about the Cheltenham Gold Cup), but to fulfill those dreams they've got to keep improving and he's way off that at the moment. He's just out of novice company so he needs to take a step forward.

He's in great shape, we're very happy with him, we sort of got the key to him a little bit last year and showed he doesn't mind better ground as well.

There are lots of options at the moment, nothing's set in stone. If the ground was soft enough, he could possibly start in Newton Abbott on 18 November, and then he could either go for Paddy Power Gold Cup or the Betfair Chase. We're quite keen on the Betfair Chase, as opposed to carrying top weight in a handicap.

Newton Abbott would have to have plenty of cut in the ground to run him, otherwise we'll wait. The other option could be the Charlie Hall Chase. So, we've got a few races in mind, nothing's set in stone, but we'll see. I'm excited about him, obviously.

---

Regent's Stroll

6-y-o bay gelding

NH Form:  11-14212-

• Sire: Walk In The Park (IRE)
• Dam: Pretty Puttens (IRE)
• Dam's Sire: Snurge (IRE)

He's one of a nice team of novice chases. He obviously had a big reputation but he's done nothing wrong, winning two from two in bumpers. He won three novices hurdles and won his Grade 1 at Aintree. He kept improving mentally and physically and he's come in a stronger horse, more mature.

He'll go novice chasing, I don't see any point wasting any time over hurdles with him. So he'll get some experience, start somewhere sensible, and then hopefully work our way up.

I've always thought a lot of him and so does Harry (Cobden). If he jumps well I'm sure he's got the size and physique to make a lovely chaser.

---

Quebecois

6-y-o chestnut gelding

NH Form:  10-12421-

• Sire: No Risk At All (FR)
• Dam: Miss Poutine (FR)
• Dam's Sire: Chamberlin (FR)

He was always going to be a staying chaser, whatever he won over hurdles was a bonus really. He just struggled with his breathing a little bit last season, so he's had that done in the summer, and hopefully that'll bring out some improvement.

First time we stepped him up to three miles he won nicely at Ayr. He's got to take another step forward, but he will win plenty of novice chases and may be a horse that could win a really nice handicap somewhere along the line. I like him, I think there's a lot to come yet.

---

Blueking d'Oroux

6-y-o bay gelding

NH Form:  124-P912-1154-26341-

• Sire: Jeu St Eloi (FR)
• Dam: Belle Du Bresil (FR)
• Dam's Sire: Blue Bresil (FR)

He did well over hurdles. He didn't quite get three miles and was just a bit shy of Grade 1 at the very top level over hurdles. He ran some super races over two-and-a-half miles, two five, two six, which suits him well.

The plan is to go novice chasing and he's going to start at Chepstow on Saturday 11 October in the two-and-a-half miles novice chase. We've always used that as a bit of a stepping stone for the Rising Stars at Wincanton and I see that sort of program would suit him quite well.

He's done a lot of jumping at home. He jumps nicely, loves good-ish ground, and is another exciting horse that, if he jumps well, will have a nice future over fences.

---

Now read Paul's five hurdlers to follow this season

---