Dual Gold Cup hero and JP McManus stars the obvious places to look - Charlie Huggins selects his Ten to Follow

Galopin Des Champs is the obvious starting point as he won three of the bonus races last season: the Savills Chase, Irish Gold Cup and Gold Cup. Willie Mullins is likely to go down the same route with the eight-year-old, who will be bidding to emulate Best Mate by winning three successive Gold Cups in March.

Last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner Fact To File may present the biggest danger and JP McManus's young star should also be included.

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The McManus pair of  Inthepocket and Jonbon are also guaranteed to be competing at the highest level and they can bank valuable points across the season. Inthepocket missed most of last term through injury but looks set to make his mark over fences in novice company and has a serious chance of claiming bonus points with victory in the Arkle.

Jonbon earned bonus points with victories in the Tingle Creek and Melling Chase and he should have a similar campaign, with hopefully a first tilt at the Champion Chase.

His Nicky Henderson stablemate Constitution Hill was seen only once last season but it would be foolish to leave out last year’s Champion Hurdle winner, who should mop up Grade 1s in Britain, while his old adversary State Man does likewise in Ireland.

Brighterdaysahead is another classy hurdler who has already proved her wellbeing with a Grade 3 success at Down Royal. The Gordon Elliott-trained five-year-old should take all the beating in the Mares’ Hurdle at the festival and could also line up in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle, a bonus race, on the same track and trip over which she recorded her Mersey Novices' Hurdle success in April.

Elliot’s Stayers’ Hurdle winner Teahupoo’s inclusion is a no-brainer as he is the standout in the division especially now Flooring Porter, who chased him home at the festival, has been ruled out for the season.

Chianti Classico won comfortably off a rating of 152 at Ascot and is being targeted at the Grand National and, while it is anyone’s guess what Mullins will do with Ballyburn, a star of his calibre simply cannot be left out.

Charlie Huggins' Ten to Follow

Ballyburn
Brighterdaysahead
Chianti Classico
Constitution Hill
Fact To File
Galopin Des Champs
Inthepocket
Jonbon
State Man
Teahupoo

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