Skip to content
GO TO bet365 Sports
  1. Horse Racing

The Big Jump Off: Get ready for the new jumps season

The National Hunt season is about to get into full swing with Cheltenham lurking and to celebrate bet365 and the Racing Post have produced The Big Jump Off season preview show.

The two-hour one-off show focuses on all the key talking points as the stars of the National Hunt season start to emerge from their summer slumber.

Host David Jennings is joined by a stellar cast to discuss all the major divisions in the jumps sphere.

With the jumps season now taking over, a reminder that you can watch every race from the UK and Ireland via bet365's Sports Live Streaming service.

The Big Jump Off preview is available to watch above, while read below for a guide to some of the fascinating content in the show.

Horse Racing

All-star panel gathers for The Big Jump Off

David Jennings is the man in the host's chair for The Big Jump Off and joining him are three of the most respected judges in the lands.

  • Paul Kealy is a long-time Racing Post pundit and tipster and a respected source for punters when it comes to making their picks.

  • Tom Segal is of course better known as Mr Pricewise at the Racing Post - the source of many a market mover and the tipster responsible for many big-priced winners in his career.

  • Johnny Dineen was the star of last season on the punditry scene, largely down to his spot as co-host of the bet365-sponsored Cheltenham Festival preview show Upping The Ante with David Jennings. Johnny flew across from Ireland to be part of The Big Jump Off.

The Big Jump Off big interviews

Included in the show, David Jennings talks to Gordon Elliott and Johnny Burke about their hopes for the season.

Elliott talks about some of his stable stars for the season ahead, of which there are many, which might give punters a clue as to where some of them might run at the Cheltenham Festival.

Unbelievably, it has been 10 years since Johnny Burke rode Sizing Europe to victory in the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park and he joins the show to discuss all things racing.

Discussing the Championship divisions

One of the most exciting parts of the show dives into the main established divisions in the jumps code as they correlate to Cheltenham in March.

First up is the Champion Hurdle division as the panel ponder whether or not anything will lay a blow on Constitution Hill if he gets there fully fit - he is the 7/4 favourite for more glory at Cheltenham on Tuesday 11th March.

El Fabiolo pulled up when sent off a very short price for last season's Champion Chase, a race won by outsider Captain Guinness.

Jonbon, who bypassed Cheltenham last season but won three Grade 1s, is the market leader at 3/1 and the team discusses what now looks like a throne waiting for a new star in the two-mile chasing division.

The Stayers' Hurdle division is next and it's a race that really revolves around only one horse.

Teahupoo came of age when winning all three Grade 1s he contested last season and Gordon Elliott's 5/2 chance looks set to take over a division that lacks much in the way of opposition.

And then there is the Gold Cup itself, where Galopin Des Champs was imperious again in March for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend and is bidding to emulate the likes of Arkle and Best Mate.

He was surprisingly beaten at Punchestown afterwards, but is 7/2 to reign again in the Blue Riband on 14th March and the Big Jump Off panel assesses the pretenders to his crown.

The panel also looks into the novice hurdlers and novice chasers as they try to forecast what new names will be making headlines this jumps season.

Saving the best for last

And finally, the expert minds on The Big Jump Off will be revealing their 'Five to Follow' for the upcoming National Hunt season and also picking their 'Best Bet for the Season' as punters look to uncover some ante-post value.

Among the horses cropping up in that fascinating debate is Sounds Victorius - a 16/1 chance to win the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham on Friday 14th March for Willie Mullins.

Related Articles

bet365 uses cookies

We use cookies to deliver a better and more personalised service. For more information, see our Cookie Policy

New to bet365? Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets Join Now

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.