THERE’S no room for pre-amble this week, and while January is a traditionally quiet month for jumps racing, there have been plenty of horses catching the eye of late, and I want to squeeze as many of them as possible into the notebook.

Leader In The Park

(Ben Pauling)

This is a horse I liked a lot last year, as did his trainer, and he’s made a bright start over fences while giving the impression he’s a fair bit better than the form of wins at Kempton and Warwick would suggest.

He made all at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day and followed up in similar style at Warwick despite being all out to hold the late challenge of Classic Anthem having got into a battle with Southoftheborder from a long way out.

The positives with Leader In The Park are that his stable is not really firing at present and he’s likely to do better still when Pauling hits a better patch of form, while he can’t really go up much for this narrow win and he’s capable of winning more races before the handicapper has his measure, with the latest version of the novices’ handicap chase at Cheltenham in March surely on his radar.

Wolf Moon

(Ben Pauling)

In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.

Another of Ben Pauling’s to really take the eye is the strapping Wolf Moon, who is a Pether’s Moon half-brother to leading bumper performer Redemption Day and made his debut in a maiden hurdle at Huntingdon on Thursday.

All the headlines will go to Palladium, who won that contest on debut for Nicky Henderson, but nothing travelled better through the race than Wolf Moon, who belied 50/1 odds by moving stylishly into contention in the straight and forced Nico de Boinville to get serious on the former Deutsches Derby winner to maintain a lead on the run-in.

Wolf Moon was clearly not considered ready for this debut and has evidently spent most of his time growing since picked up at the Yorton Sale as a yearling by Marcus Foley as for £25,000.

He now races in the colours of Mrs Fiona Hook and looks a smashing prospect who can only progress from this eye-catching debut.

Rocky’s Diamond

(Declan Queally)

No points for originality in noting an unexposed Grade 2 winner, but I thought Rocky’s Diamond did plenty wrong in taking the Galmoy Hurdle in game fashion on Thursday and he looks a most exciting prospect for Declan Queally and owner Margaret Kiely.

With no pace on, Rocky’s Diamond showed his lack of experience by proving headstrong, clearly wanting to get on with things to such a degree that Shane Fitzgerald could barely restrain him.

He found himself in front a long way from home and I expected his exertions and lack of experience to leave him vulnerable when the inevitable sprint for home began.

I was therefore very impressed with the way he kept on to repel several challenges in the straight, and I also thought that his jumping was much improved.

He proved here that not only was his third to Home By The Lee in the Christmas Hurdle no fluke, but that he was actually a fair bit better than the bare result, and his willing attitude can see him go on to further big-race success.

Matata

(Nigel Twiston-Davies)

Sometimes a horse is so firmly filed in the “no secrets” category that it’s almost impossible to change your mind about that animal because the obvious conclusion is too difficult to square with a wider view of the division from which it comes.

A prime example is Matata, who was arguably the most impressive winner of the weekend at Windsor, but whose performance suggested that he must be a candidate for a place at least in the Champion Chase, and that simply doesn’t compute for most form students.

While it’s easy to assume that Matata will struggle if running into Jonbon, Energumene et al in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, to make that facile assumption before analysing his win under 12st in the Great Park Handicap Chase is to do him a disservice.

With a BHA rating of 155, Matata had to give lumps of weight away to his rivals over two miles at Windsor and won by 10 lengths, eased down from the final fence.

He is normally a front runner, and disappointed when unable to dominate at Aintree last spring but looked an improved performer for taking a lead here, tracking Editeur Du Gite before cruising to the front at the eighth of the 12 obstacles.

Despite being heavily eased, Matata still posted a solid time figure for this win and deserves full credit for the improvement shown, accepting that the track at Windsor favours those with a high cruising speed.

I was surprised to see odds of 50/1 available about him for Cheltenham after this win and did avail myself of them.

I don’t really think that he’s good enough to beat Jonbon at level weights, but he achieved more at Windsor than many who are shorter odds than him for the Champion Chase, and I’d not be at all surprised to see him pick up minor prize money there.

Derryhassen Paddy

(Lucinda Russell)

A point winner for the upwardly mobile Ian Donoghue last season, Derryhassen Paddy quickly made his mark for Lucinda Russell, winning a bumper at Ayr in February while the point season was still in full flow.

He’s now won both his starts over hurdles and made a big impression in both the paddock and the track at Windsor last Friday despite looking unsuited by the tight, left-handed track.

Jumping to his right throughout the contest, Derryhassen Paddy gave ground away at his flights and that looked sure to cost him when he was challenged by Honky Tonk Highway between the last two flights.

Dan Skelton’s mare edged ahead at the final hurdle, and she gave Derryhassen Paddy a bump as he tried to challenge again on the rail, so it is to his credit that he kept finding despite being short of room, and he forced his head in front again on the line. The runner-up is a good prospect and already a winner of a listed hurdle, so this performance ranks highly enough in terms of bare form.

What makes it really noteworthy, however, is the fact that the winner looks like he will improve markedly for a stiffer test over hurdles, while this imposing gelding is a top-class chaser in the making next season.