With no racing taking place I thought I woukld take an early look as some jumpers to follow for the 2020/21 season. First on the list is the Dunvegan, a seven-year-old trained in Ireland by Pat Fahy.
This son of Le Havre was a smart bumper performer who went on to score in good style and Punchestown back in December 2018, before being found to be clinically abnormal when sent off 7/1 and finishing a well beaten 10th of 16 to Commander Of Fleet in a Grade 1 at Punchestown.
He also failed to fire at the 2019 Cheltenham when pulled-up behind City Island in the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
However, there was lots to like about Dunevgan’s chasing debut at Pucnhestown back in Decemeber when easily beating Valdieu by 18 lengths.
Valdieu went on to score on handicap debut at Naas before rounding off the campaign with a decent third at the same venue, whilst the third home Trainwreck – who was beaten a further 32 lengths – ran very well when a head second of 22 to Glamorgan Duke in the valuable Leopardstown Handicap Chase off 136 to end the season on a rating of 139.
Dunvegan then caught the eye in no uncertain fashion when a very tenderly handled third of six to Cash Back in Novice Chase at Naas where he travelled well and stayed on under a hands and heels ride to be beaten 15 lengths.
The winner went on to finish a cracking 3/4 length second to Notebook in a Grade 1 at Naas and is now officially rated 156.
He immediately went into my notebook after that run as one to keep a close eye on at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, but he subsequently failed to meet the qualifying criteria for the race he was entered in as a result of meetings being cancelled.
Dunvegan was then far from disgarced following a break when a staying on 15 length second of nine to Zero Ten in a Grade 3 at Thurles.
For me has air of unfinished business about him and judged on the aformentioned runs should be more than capable of winning races off his current rating of 140 when going down the handicap route.
It will be interesting to see which races connections target, but the Betvictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November could be the ideal type of contest for him in my eyes.
There will also be plenty of opportunties for him in contests in Ireland and there is no doubt in my mind that Dunvegan has the ability to land a valuable pot of two in the 2020/21 season