I must check back after Punchestown next year and see how they all got on. I'll be amazed if all of them made it through the season unscathed.

Here's how unpredictable the whole business is. This time last year, I hadn't heard of Denman. He'd won a point-topoint down in Liscarroll in Cork and then a novice hurdle in Wincanton but I'd had nothing to do with either of those races. To me, he was just another horse in Paul Nicholls' yard if he was anything at all.

It was New Year's Day before I rode him in a race and when he won that day by 20 lengths, I was full sure he'd win at Cheltenham in the SunAlliance Hurdle.

I went there certain that he was my best chance of a win all week. And what happened? He ran a cracker and was still beaten by Nicanor in the end.

So who am I to be predicting anything?

We took Denman out for his first race of the season on Tuesday at Exeter.

It was his first novice chase and although he got a bit free on me early on, there was enough in him to know that he should develop into a serious prospect.

It definitely wasn't the tidiest of races from him but you can see the goods are there. Since that day in January, I've always thought of him as a bit of a freak, maybe even a bit quirky at times.

It's a matter of knocking the edges off him over the winter. That, and keeping him out of harm's way.

That goes for people as well as horses, of course. This time last year, I didn't think that I'd spend nearly twoand-a-half months out with injury. I didn't know that I'd miss out on Kauto Star in the Tingle Creek or Hedgehunter in the Hennessy. I wasn't expecting to lose that small bit of sharpness that would have stood to me at Cheltenham either. Little things, big consequences.

Paul has a massive yard now, so obviously he has a few more novices worth keeping an eye out for. One I really like is Natal, owned by the people who own Hackett's Bookmakers. He had a decent hurdle career and won a Grade Two race at Aintree in April.

Paul has sent him chasing this season and he won first time out at Exeter a couple of weeks ago.

Definitely one I'm looking forward to, along with another called Gungadu.

Over hurdles, Kicks For Free is a hell of a horse. And of his big guns, Kauto Star is obviously the one to get really excited over.

In Willie's yard, the new ones over fences are Alexander Taipan and Ballytrim and over hurdles he has Equus Maximus, Fred's Benefit and a three-year-old called Jayo, named after Jason Sherlock. Jayo won his maiden at Thurles and looks a really good prospect. Of the rest, I know Ballytrim and Equus Maximus didn't go well at Cheltenham but Willie thought a lot of them before they went there and still does.

The main stand-outs in Willie's yard are Missed That, Hedgehunter and Asian Maze. Hedgehunter will be going for the Grand National again and if we can get him there in full health on the big day, he'll have a great chance. I'll be talking about him a lot more closer to the time but by now, everyone knows what he offers when it comes to Aintree. He'll stay out of trouble, he'll get around and he'll never, ever quit.

As for the other two, anything could await them over the next few months.

Missed That had a good first season over fences after a shaky enough start and you can expect more to come from him.

As for Asian Maze, I genuinely think she can be as good as she wants to be.

I know there are some who don't believe she's a Champion Hurdle horse but I'm not one of them. The World Hurdle will always be an option, of course, but I think there could be better in her.

Problem is, that's four months away yet. Plenty of time for the unforeseen.