The start of the 2025-26 National Hunt Season is just over a month away, with excitement levels already building. As is typically the case with the jumps season, success of trainers and jockeys will be measured based on performances at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, the iconic venue in the Cotswolds hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the British trainers in recent years, with the travelling Irish raiders typically clearing up in the championship races.

However, there is a sense that this year could be different, with a number of notable yards across England picking up potential stable stars during the summer break. And if you are bored and you want to look elsewhere you can always check US Breeders Cup which happens in November: https://www.twinspires.com/breeders-cup/

Nonetheless, who are some of the jockeys that could be set for big seasons in the saddle?

Harry Skelton

Dan Skelton came agonizingly close to winning the Trainers’ Championship for the first time in 2024-25, only to be denied by Irish maestro Willie Mullins on the final day of the campaign.

However, the Skelton yard has picked up some notable stars during the summer, and in Harry Skelton, they have one of the best jumps jockeys in the United Kingdom. The 35-year-old is already a Champion Jockey in his own right, and the big-race wins have continued to add up in recent years, including four Grade One victories at the Cheltenham Festival.

A big season for the Skelton will see them unleash one of the potential Champion Hurdle contenders in the opening months of the campaign, as The New Lion bids to build on his success in last year’s G1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle. Other leading chances during the season include Grey Dawning, who could yet prove to be a standout contender for major Spring targets.

Sean Bowen

There’s little doubt that Sean Bowen was the standout rider across the UK last season, and the 27-year-old was a fully deserving winner of the Champion Jockey for the first time in his career.

Bowen’s ability to get the best out of his horses was a trademark throughout the campaign, and as the stable jockey for one of the country’s fast improving yards, he will mount a serious defence in 2025-26. Olly Murphy’s yard is expanding at a rapid rate, and there would be little surprise if he is able to mount a serious challenge for the Trainers’ Championship this coming season.

There will be some big early season handicap targets for some of Bowen’s most successful horses, with Resplendent Grey and Moon D’Orange both aiming to repeat their Cheltenham successes before the end of the calendar year. Strong Leader will be an outside chance for the Stayers’ Hurdle. Meanwhile, Bowen’s performances last season could ensure that he picks up riders for other leading trainers, as Willie Mullins called upon the Welshman on a number of occasions last season.

Nico De Boinville

There are potentially few more higher profile jockeys in the UK than Nicky Henderson’s stable rider, Nico De Boinville. Last season was ultimately a disappointment for connections, with major stars disappointing on the biggest stages. However, few stables have a better reputation for rebuilding stars to once again reach the very top more so than Henderson.

All eyes will be on the early season targets for former Champion Chase hopeful Jonbon, whose poor record at Cheltenham continued in March. However, away from the track, the chaser has looked almost impossible to beat. Henderson has already teased stepping the runner-up in trip, and an early-season target could be the King George Chase on Boxing Day.

However, all eyes surrounding De Boinville this season will be on how Constitution Hill returns to the track. The previously unbeaten hurdler lost his perfect record with a pair of falls at Aintree and Cheltenham, before running a below-par race when well beaten in Ireland to end the season.

Lilly Pinchin

Aside from the top jockeys, a name worth keeping an eye on this season could come in the form of Lilly Pinchin.

Rachel Blackmore’s retirement from the sport means that there is now a gap for a new female role model, and Pinchin is fast becoming a rider who has shown an ability to win big races on a Saturday throughout the season. The 26-year-old has already overcome adversity to reach a high standard, and she rode out her claim in November 2023.

She has been a long-standing trusted rider for the respected Charlie Longsdon yard, and successes in handicap races were a trademark of hers throughout the previous season. Horses such as The Dark Edge, Stroll on By, and Diamond Mix could feature in the early months of the season, and may be worth keeping tabs on. Pinchin already has a handful of Cheltenham winners to her name, and she could be set to add to that tally throughout the 2025-26 season.