THE calibre of horses within the four-year-old division looked exceptional last season, and the initial evidence of those early four-year-olds to have already graduated to the track, certainly backs-up the viewpoint that was held by so many within the sport.

Within the last month, nine horses who ran in spring four-year-old maidens alone, enjoyed success inside the rails for new connections, including five maiden winners. Shark Hanlon’s Lemonfield winner Posh Trish, got off the mark for Paul Nicholls in an 18-runner Aintree Bumper, Palmers Hill, a wide-margin winner at Tyrella for Denis Murphy, made a winning debut for Jonjo O’Neill at Uttoxeter.

Elsewhere, Colin Bowe’s Ballysteen winner, Senor Lombardy was a winner at Hexham for Keith Dagleish, Onefortheroadtom, who won his maiden at Oldcastle for Brian Hamilton, beat Grade 2 bumper winner Lalor, to land a novices’ hurdle at Exeter for Jonjo O’Neill, while Eddie Hales’ Dromahane winner Felix Desjy earned himself a quote of 25/1 for the Cheltenham Champion Bumper when winning a Punchestown bumper by 10 lengths.

These performances certainly whet the appetite for what is still set to come this season.

That victory at Exeter for Palmers Hill in particular, highlights just what we might be missing following the loss of his Oldtown conqueror Flemenshill, who along with another star pointing graduate Neon Wolf, were both fatally injured at home earlier in the autumn.

The latter created plenty of buzz in his debut track season for Harry Fry after joining his Dorset yard following a maiden success at Ballyragget for Mags and Patrick Mullins. In three consecutive victories for Fry, the six-year-old won the Grade 2 Supreme Novices’ Trial at Haydock which saw him sent off as the 2/1 favourite for the Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where just a head defeat at the hands of Willoughby Court saw him lose his unbeaten record.

The loss of his stable star following a complete laceration of his right hind-limb deep digital flexor tendon, is a cruel blow for Fry who had earmarked Neon Wolf as a future Gold Cup hope.