'He will probably get to the top' - Racing Post tipster Graeme Rodway with his Ten to Follow

The key to winning the Tote Ten to Follow is to find as many bonus-race winners as possible. That never changes from year to year, but the bonus races tend to be switched every season, so the best way to go about the task is to look at the most imminent races.

It’s almost impossible to predict the winners of races in April now and much easier to find horses who might be capable of landing the six bonus races before Christmas, so concentrate on those.

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Protektorat is already a warm favourite for the Betfair Chase at Haydock this month. Dan Skelton will have him in peak form for that, as he knows Protektorat falls short in the Gold Cup and isn’t quick enough for the King George, and the Betfair Chase is his race.

Monbeg Genius has the strongest single piece of handicap form in the book in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury thanks to his third behind subsequent Grand National winner Corach Rambler and Punchestown Gold Cup winner Fastorslow at Cheltenham last season. Monbeg Genius is better than he was able to show on his reappearance at Ascot and can bounce back.

Jonbon is set for the Tingle Creek and, with El Fabiolo likely to stay at home, it’s difficult to get away from the Nicky Henderson-trained star. It’s also worth sticking with Henderson in the King George because that race looks right for Shishkin, who is unexposed at staying trips.

I like The Big Breakaway for the Coral Welsh Grand National. He finished second behind The Two Amigos in the race last year and looks certain to be teed up for another crack at it. The Big Breakaway is currently only 1lb higher than last year and might be lower on the day.

Galopin Des Champs was impressive in last season’s Gold Cup, but I’m not convinced he will have another stellar season. He is unlikely to go for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas but Gerri Colombe probably will and he could become a serious Gold Cup contender. With that in mind, he is preferred to Galopin Des Champs.

The Irish Champion Hurdle should go to Impaire Et Passe, provided all goes well with him in the run-up to the race. It’s therefore worth including him alongside the star in the division, Constitution Hill. It’s impossible to leave the impressive Champion Hurdle winner out.

With Gerri Colombe likely to take in the Irish Gold Cup and the Betfair Hurdle impossible to call at this stage of the season, it’s time to move on to the novice chases at Cheltenham.

The best novice chase display I’ve seen this campaign so far came from Iroko. He beat the French Grade 2-winning hurdler Golden Son on his chasing debut at Warwick without coming off the bridle. I’m not sure which novice chase he will end up competing in, as he looks all about speed but stays 3m. He will probably get to the top, though.

That leaves just one more space and I can’t leave out El Fabiolo, who was so impressive when winning at the Dublin Racing Festival and made Jonbon look ordinary in the Arkle at Cheltenham. That was some performance given Jonbon went on to land two Grade 1s after.

El Fabiolo is the class act in the two-mile chase division and should mop up all of the big prizes in Ireland before heading to Cheltenham as a hot favourite for the Champion Chase.

Graeme Rodway's Ten to Follow

Constitution Hill
El Fabiolo
Gerri Colombe
Impaire Et Passe
Iroko
Jonbon
Monbeg Genius
Protektorat
Shishkin
The Big Breakaway

More Ten to Follow:

Gutsy Down Royal winner Gerri Colombe heads star broadcaster Nick Luck's Ten to Follow 

'I can't resist including the horse that beat him at Punchestown' - France correspondent Scott Burton's Gallic Ten to Follow 

'I am convinced Dan Skelton has the answer to Newbury's Coral Gold Cup' - Evan Williams' Tote Ten to Follow 

'He has not yet reached the ceiling of his powers and could be an exciting chaser' - David Elsworth picks his Ten To Follow 

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