The dust is just about to set on what was a fantastic Cheltenham festival last year, which was chock a block with exciting races. There were plenty of clues of horses to watch out for in the upcoming 12 months.

1) AUX PTITS SOINS - P. Nicholls - Age: 5 - 2016 target: RSA Chase / JLT Novice Chase Current price: N/A
A horse with a huge amount of potential. He arrived in Britain after just three starts in France but showed really good form in those. He looked really well handicapped for his debut for Paul Nicholls in the Coral Cup, but he won the race in the style of a seasoned veteran. Always up with the pace, he made a mistake at the sharp end of the race but carried on to finish powerfully up the hill and win with something in hand. Paul Nicholls quoted that this could be his Gold Cup horse, so this was a deeply impressive start. His future lies over fences and is worth getting excited about.

2) MODUS - R. Stephens - Age: 5 - 2016: Supreme Novice Hurdle Current price: 16/1
He has spent two seasons running in bumper flat races, but looks the type to progress over obstacles. He finished 8th and 10th in the Cheltenham and Aintree Champion Bumpers, but wasn't disgraced in either race. He made his racecourse reappearance in the same Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and ran much better, staying on strongly after a slow start without reaching the winner. His trainer knows the time of day with young novice hurdlers, as shown with Beltor this season. The form he has shown at Cheltenham gives encouragement.

3) ARCTIC FIRE - W. Mullins - Age: 6 - 2016 target: Champion Hurdle Current price: 10/1
This is for place money only because if Faugheen turns up again next year in the same imperious form, he will win by a street.
Arctic Fire was a huge eyecatcher in this year's Champion Hurdle and has always shown classy form. He was 2nd in the County Hurdle as a novice and was picking up the pieces behind Hurricane Fly in some races in Ireland. Always best coming off a strong pace, Arctic Fire ran a belter, staying on powerfully up the hill to finish a length and a half behind Faugheen. In the process, he put 9 lengths between himself and the other finishers which involved some top quality horses. If you take Faugheen out of the result, Arctic Fire has won a Champion Hurdle by nine lengths. He will be in the placings once again next year for sure.

Thank you.

He's on your list but the one to follow is artic fire, he was catching faugheen at the line but sadly I think the bookies would have caught on to it and the value will have gone.

10/1 is still a good price though, by race time he'll be 5/2 or something like that. Better to get a good price like that now rather than later.

I agree with you their, but unfortunately for me I don't bet on ante post and place my bets on the day or day before.

Still cant get over the run of Arctic Fire
Chased home HF & Jezki all season and beat them both at Cheltenam and gave Faugheen a bit of a scare serious horse

Abit early for me to be thinking about cheltenham next year as alot of things can happen in a year, Think the earliest id get involved would be christmas time.

In regards to the champion hurdle, faugheen was a really good winner but obviously Jezki and The New One ran below par due to the slow pace. Still cant believe Mcmanus never put a pace maker in.

Think it'll be really exciting if My Tent Or Yours stays over hurdles as Faugheen wont be able to get him off the bridle as early as he did the others.

If Vautour does go the gold cup route, and early signs from connections seem to indicate he will, then what a gold cup we could have with Coneygree and Vautour going head to head in front. With Djakadam and Don Poli lining up too then Mullins appears to have 3 serious shots to fire.

Elsewhere Un de Sceaux seems to have the champion chase division at his mercy, no offence to reigning champ Dodging Bullets of course.

As mentioned above Aux ptits Sions looks a really nice recruit for Nicholls and will be a key player in the JLT/RSA next year if he takes to fences.

Jezki and the New One tracking Faugheen early killed them they could not go with him end of story he ran the legs of them as
I knew he would all the rubbish he beat nothing b4 the race Timeform Knew the score.

was very surprised the new one was not held up crazy going with faugheen.
also if the distance was 2 miles 4 he still would have out stayed them.

I cant see how anyone can say TNO & J ran under par Jezki has been beat up by an 11 YO Fly all year and the New One Made such hard
work of beating average horses.

Arctic Fire the only horse apart from the winner to come out of the race with great credit turning the form on HF & J alone
gives him huge credit but to get that close to Faugheen thats another story

I thought The New One looked horribly outpaced in the last few furlongs. Jezki couldn't go on and maybe he ran a little under par, but The New One looked like he kept going, but couldn't keep up with the front ones.

Jezki is a 169 horse and think i can safely say he didnt run to that figure which means he under performed.