Impaire Et Passe among jumps season standouts as Mullins targets major targets

With the jumps season approaching, attention is turning to which horses could define the campaign. Calum McClurkin argues there is one top-class jumps horse worth following intently—and it isn't Constitution Hill. Autumn rain could see the better horses out earlier this year on both sides of the Irish Sea, with two Dan Skelton runners, Fortune De Mer and Be Aware, among those entered for Newton Abbot, and Willie Mullins indicating some of his best horses could be out earlier than usual. Davy Crockett has already maintained his unbeaten start at the Listowel Harvest Festival, earning a 12-1 quote for March’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, though it is still very early days in the season.

Constitution Hill remains the most talked-about jumper, but early updates have been cautious. Nicky Henderson has said the star has not yet been schooled over a hurdle, and the target remains the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. Henderson described him as further forward than at the same point last year, though the public-facing optimism is tempered by past false dawns. Bookmakers have trimmed prices for spring events as markets remain volatile. The leading names in the market for the major races include Galopin Des Champs, Constitution Hill, Fact To File, Teahupoo, Lossiemouth, Marine Nationale and Inothewayurthinkin; all have Cheltenham wins on their resumes and are likely to feature again, but each carries risks of injury or development that could alter the pecking order. Against that backdrop, Impaire Et Passe is singled out as a potential value option with major targets in mind.

Impaire Et Passe, a seven-year-old trained by Mullins, has yet to race at Cheltenham this season after being kept away from Turners Novices’ Chase, which was converted into a handicap. The horse won the Ballymore in 2023 and has since posted strong form in both hurdle and novice chasing assignments, including an emphatic Grade One win at Limerick and a victory at Aintree. He has shown staying aptitude in two-mile-plus routes and a noted history of Leopardstown struggles (zero wins in three attempts) that could shape a campaign puzzle. Mullins has earmarked him for the Gold Cup, Ryanair Chase and King George, with prices of 66-1, 20-1 and 25-1 respectively across major bookmakers. The standout point is the potential: if kept to a tailored plan that avoids Leopardstown’s steadier demands, Impaire Et Passe could reveal the deeper staying power necessary for the top targets.

The long-term view notes that Impaire Et Passe did not race at Cheltenham last year after Turners Novices’ Chase was turned into a handicap, a decision that some observers say could have inflated his value this season. He won the Grade One Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2023 and later won the Aintree Hurdle in 2024, underscoring his Grade One capability. His chasing debut at Fairyhouse suggested a longer-distance future, reinforcing Mullins’ belief in the horse’s staying power. While he did suffer a setback at Leopardstown—0-for-3 there as a chaser—Mullins points to a campaign that could be tailored to exploit his strengths, while avoiding traps that have stung him before. The route laid out could involve the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown to kick off a Christmas period that might culminate in a tilt at the King George on Boxing Day, with a Ryanair or Gold Cup bid to follow at Cheltenham, and a late-season dash to either Aintree or Punchestown to end the year.

Willie Mullins has more obvious stars such as Galopin Des Champs that are short in the market. Yes, he has a bit to find with the established players at the top of the markets, but the potential is there, and that is what appeals to punters in the long run. Impaire Et Passe is the undoubted high-class jumps horse to keep a beady eye on this season, especially for those looking for a price-based edge as the campaign unfolds.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK… Plenty of contenders at Newmarket’s Future Champions meeting. Bow Echo travelled stylishly in the Royal Lodge, while True Love bounced back to her best form in the Cheveley Park Stakes. Both are bright prospects going forward. However, the standout performance from Wise Approach to win the Middle Park was something out of the ordinary. He was slow out the stalls, stumbled and was stone-dead last, yet he had to come to the middle of the track and circle the field to mount his challenge, and he still had enough in the locker to repel the challenges of Brussels and Coppull, both of whom had smoother runs than the winner. His finishing speed suggests he could be more Commonwealth Cup-type than a Guineas contender next season, making him a potentially formidable force in the sprint division going forward.

The early-season mood remains cautious, with many of the sport’s best-known names expected to feature prominently but not guaranteed to maintain peak form from autumn into spring. The market reflects that tension, with prices fluctuating as trainers reveal plans and horses move between hurdles and chases. The takeaway for followers is to look beyond the obvious, to identify horses whose form hasn’t yet converged with Cheltenham campaigns but who could prove superior when aligned with the right schedule. Other high-profile names will move into the frame as their campaigns progress, while some familiar faces may falter under pressure or face setbacks that alter the balance in major races.

Kopek Des Bordes, a horse already drawing late-season attention for his potential in chasing, looms as an example of the broader strategy: hunt for horses that aren’t yet in the Cheltenham conversation at the start of the season, and watch their development as the year unfolds. The sport’s narrative this year will be shaped by how trainers manage light and heat, weather and ground, and how a few less-heralded runners step forward to unsettle the established order. In this environment, Impaire Et Passe represents a compelling blend of proven ability and upside, making him a priority watch for those tracking the season’s deeper potential rather than simply chasing the most obvious narratives.