Photo via https://twitter.com/MirrorRacing/status/1587316632866652160/photo/1 

As we approach the Christmas holidays, it tends to be a quiet period for horse racing. Sure, some regions, particularly in Hong Kong, the UK and USA, will have busy schedules over December and January, but, by and large, it’s a quiet period, with most of the blue-chip events done and dusted until next year. Of course, the ante-post betting markets will still have priced up plenty of the big events in 2023, and it’s interesting to see some of the names tipped for glory with sportsbooks.  

So, who should you be following next year? It’s an interesting question for punters, and it’s not necessarily one with a simple answer. You’ll certainly want to be looking at the results of big races in 2022. But there is also scope to look at younger horses who performed well in low-key events. Moreover, trainers may have horses in training that have not yet raced and are ready to burst onto the scene next year. 

Deauville Legend impressed in defeat 

But starting with the blue-chip events, the eye might be drawn to the Melbourne Cup field, which ran in early November. While the natural inclination might be to look at the 2022 Melbourne Cup winner, Gold Trip, there might be a higher ceiling for Deauville Legend, who placed 4th. 

Yes, punters will have been disappointed to see Deauville Legend not win, given he was favorite, but it was a stirring performance from a much younger horse, particularly given the wet conditions weren’t to his liking. 

Deauville Legend is already placed among the favorites in the 2023 Melbourne Cup ante-post markets, and the British-trained horse will surely have something to say at Ascot, York, and other venues in the UK next summer.  

 

Auguste Rodin a Derby candidate 

Another strong performer in 2022 was Auguste Rodin, who looked every inch a future Classic winner in his runouts as a 2yo in the UK and Ireland. His debut season was capped off by a fine win in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster in October. 

That win ended Auguste Rodin’s 2yo season, but he is primed for big things as a 3yo in 2023. He currently leads the betting markets for the Epsom Derby, and given trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the iconic race eight times, few would be surprised if he makes it to nine with Auguste Rodin in June next year.

Forte could be a Kentucky Derby contender

Let’s move across to the United States now with a look at the intriguing Forte. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Forte had a fantastic debut season, culminating with wins in the Breeders’ Futurity and  Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. 

Street Sense (2006) and Nyquist (2016) both went on to win the Kentucky Derby after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile the previous year, and there is a feeling that Forte is cut from similar cloth. Current odds of around 12/1 make him an interesting candidate in the ante-post markets.

Two brilliant jumps horses to follow 

In national hunt racing, we would point you towards the amazing Honeysuckle, a brilliant mare currently on 16 wins and no defeats in an incredible career so far. It might sound fanciful, but there is a chance that Honeysuckle could equal the record of Black Caviar and reach 25 races – an entire career – without defeat. She will be the star of the show ,no doubt, at the Cheltenham Festival 2023 in March. 

Elsewhere in jumps racing, we would point to another Irish star in the making, Galopin Des Champs. As with Deauville Legend above, there was sufficient evidence in defeat (Galopin Des Champs fell when leading in the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham) to believe that big things await. Such is the belief that trainer Willie Mullins has the horse of a lifetime on his hands, there is consensus that Galopin Des Champs is good enough to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, arguably the biggest prize in national hunt racing. 

Anamoe can win more in 2023 

Finally, let’s go back to Australia and talk about the standout performer of the busy Spring Carnival, Anamoe. Hardly an unknown quantity, it was still surprising to see Anamoe take four from five in Group 1s across September to November, a run that included the WS Cox Plate. Now with over $10 million in prize money, we fancy Anamoe to make his presence felt in the Australian autumn, perhaps in the Queen Anne Stakes in April. 

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