'I'm sticking with him despite his critics' - Andrew Thornton's Ten to Follow

With the way the weather is looking this year, there's going to be plenty of soft ground around and Gerri Colombe looks just the type to revel in those conditions.

He finished off last season by winning at Aintree and has a very progressive profile. He looks one for the bonus races like the Savills Chase at Christmas and the Irish Gold Cup in February.

I'm going to stick with Shishkin despite his critics. You could see he wasn't right at Cheltenham but he still managed to finish second and then he righted that wrong by winning well at Aintree over a three-mile trip he had been crying out for. This time everything is going to revolve around the King George and I still have faith.

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Constitution Hill is the first name on everyone's list, perhaps even more so with the decision to stick to hurdling, and Galopin Des Champs has to go in too as although he's not going to be heavily campaigned, he's the one to beat in the Gold Cup division again.

Gaelic Warrior is going to head chasing and looks a monster for the novice division. He got beaten by Impaire Et Passe in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, but went on from there to win at Punchestown.

Impaire Et Passe is five from five in his career and has to go in. He looked so impressive as a novice last season and while he might be going down the Champion Hurdle route to take on Constitution Hill, he won't be meeting him until Cheltenham. Whatever happens there, he can win plenty of races in Ireland.

I'm sticking with Noble Yeats again this time. The ground was too quick for him in the Gold Cup and then he ran another cracker in the Grand National to finish fourth. He's still only young at eight and he's with a very talented trainer.

I loved Vanillier when he won the Albert Bartlett in 2021 and although he's going to have a back-end campaign, the Grand National is the aim again after he finished second in it last season.

The staying hurdle division looks wide open and at this stage Teahupoo, who was unlucky in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham last season, appeals most as a horse who could progress.

Lastly, I'm going to go with novice hurdler Johnnywho, who caught my eye when winning at Carlisle. There's something about him that suggests he can rise up the ranks and might be one for the old Tolworth Hurdle, which is now at Aintree on Boxing Day.

Andrew Thornton's Ten to Follow

Constitution Hill
Gaelic Warrior
Galopin Des Champs
Gerri Colombe
Impaire Et Passe
Johnnywho
Noble Yeats
Shishkin
Teahupoo
Vanillier

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