THE Grade 1 scene over recent years was covered here last week, the main takeaway being how hard it was for yards outside the big powers to win a top-level race. Looking at the top 100 chasers and hurdlers in Ireland based on IHRB ratings, that situation can be expected to continue in 2026/’27.

A mark of 140 gets a horse into the top 100 chasers in country, and Willie Mullins has 38 such chasers, over twice as many as Gordon Elliott, next best with 17. Henry de Bromhead has 12, Gavin Cromwell has eight, Joseph O’Brien three while Noel Meade and Jimmy Mangan have two each. Some 18 other yards have a sole chaser rated 140 or more, meaning 25 trainers are represented in the top 100.

The power becomes more concentrated in the top 50, the group of chasers with a realistic chance of winning a Grade 1. A mark of 151 or higher is the cut-off point here, and Mullins has 25 of those chasers.

There is a broader spread among the hurdlers. 136 gets a hurdler into the top 100, and Mullins has 33 of them. Elliott has 18, de Bromhead eight, while eight other yards have at least two in the top 100. In all, 30 different yards are represented.

To break into the top 50, a hurdler must be rated at least 143 and Mullins has 18 of them. Elliott has 10, de Bromhead five (not including the recently retired Bob Olinger), Jospeh O’Brien four. Whereas Mullins has all but one of the top eight chasers in the country (Marine Nationale the exception), the best hurdlers are more evenly distributed.

Mullins has six of the top 15, while Elliott has five, de Bromhead, Joseph O’Brien and Barry Connell are also represented. This column will likely spend much of the winter discussing the horses above but, with the jumps getting rolling, it might be worth considering a few horses from smaller yards that can climb the ranks. Winning Grade 1s might be a faraway dream, but making the top 100 or even 50 chasers or hurdlers is more manageable.

Cawley’s star

Come Walk With Me, with a mark of 146, is already inside the top 100 chasers for Eddie Cawley and is the best horse he has had in recent years. Indeed, the yard has only had four horses rated higher than 130 in the last 20 years per Horse Race Base, Forever Gold tops on 138. Come Walk With Me had flattered to deceive early in his career but looked a different horse sent handicapping over fences, winning at both Fairyhouse and Punchestown last spring, the latter a particularly impressive success in a fast time while jumping well.

He currently holds an entry in the Drinmore. Jonathan Sweeney runs a Paddy Twomey-style small operation over jumps, focusing on quality with small numbers and has already had several chasers break into the upper echelons like Showurappreciation, Western Walk and Rushmount.

His next classy performer could be Barnahash Prince who won a staying bumper at Cork last Easter before being fast-tracked into the Champion Bumper at Punchestown. That test was too sharp for him, but he stayed on well late and suggested he is will be up to graded level.

Oliver McKiernan has had graded success in the not-too-distant past and Healys Pub looks one of his best young horses.

Gradually progressive over hurdles last season, he broke his maiden at Naas in March and looks a big chasing type that should prove well suited by testing ground over the coming years.

NAAS Racecourse hosted a seminar titled ‘Racing on changing ground’ recently, and it looked as if they followed their own advice and got things right with watering ahead of last Sunday’s card, where there was not a single ground-related non-runner, a rarity just now.

As such, the meeting felt like a proper start to the jumps, with star attractions like Kopek Des Bordes taking part. He got beaten in the Grade 3 second season chase and, while avoiding obvious mistakes, seemed inclined to jump his fences like they were electrified, trying to avoid brushing through them.

This meant he was spending longer in the air than ideal while also landing steeply with a bump, all of which expends effort and having been typically keen, he had nothing to give in the finish.

Willie Mullins suggested afterwards that the run may have been needed more than he anticipated and perhaps slower ground would suit, but neither of those seem to provide clear reasons for why his jumping will sharpen up next time which it will need to.

Fluent jumping

Irish Panther, conversely, jumped fluently bar going through the third last, and his trainers again deserve credit for getting him to this level given he has a history of bleeding.

Mullins otherwise had a good day, Anzadam settling much better over fences to win easily on chase debut for all his jumping left room for improvement.

The class act of the field judged on hurdles form, he beat Eachtotheirown and Koktail Brut - both graded types from last season - with ease and the strong suspicion is that the 2025/’26 crop of Irish two-mile novice hurdlers were a poor group.

The ‘wow’ performance on the card came from Love Me Tender in the Fishery Lane Hurdle, a race that has been downgraded in recent years but drew a better field here. Well-backed and under a confident ride from Paul Townend, Love Me Tender hurdled with little fluency but still arrived in the straight full of running to win by an easy 15 lengths.

I am not sure that the 141-rated runner-up Bartholomew ran to his mark after being weak in the betting and, not travelling as well as he can but, even so, Love Me Tender passed the eye test in some style.

Interesting races

There were a pair of interesting maiden hurdles elsewhere on the card, The Mourne Rambler jumping well in the main before winning in workmanlike fashion in the two-mile race. The bare form looks ordinary, but he might be better over further while the third Ignite The Moment is one to bear in mind for similar races and beyond.

He shaped a lot better than his 10th-place finish in a bumper at the Punchestown Festival, racing keenly and taking off on his rider mid-race while also going around the unfavoured inner. This run looked about settling him and he travelled as well as any, making slight errors three out and at the last, keeping on well without being knocked about while also meeting some traffic.

Minella Machine won the longer maiden hurdle though there is not much to take from the race as his main rival fell.

He does have the right profile, however, being a rare bumper winner for Henry de Bromhead, while the trainer has often started a good horse in maiden hurdles at this meeting, Slade Steel, Hiddenvalley Lake and Fruits De Mer all winning their first hurdle start here.