FITNESS can be a vital part of figuring out jumps races at this stage of the year with so many National Hunt horses returning from summers off. It means the markets are often more volatile than later in the winter when most runners have had a recent outing.

There were betting moves aplenty at Galway last weekend and a few horses on Saturday’s card might be of interest if improving for their initial starts.

Kaleosun benefitted from a recent run at Cork to win the three-year-old maiden hurdle, but the runner-up Ose Partir shaped like the better long-term prospect on his first start for Martin Brassil.

Despite racing keenly in the early stages on his first start in 280 days, and meeting some trouble turning into the straight, he closed the race-fit winner down all the way to the line and should come on plenty for this.

Promise

The Big Chap has improved for chasing, his previous form with My Mate Mozzie working out well at Cheltenham last Friday. He showed a good attitude to win the novice chase though the fourth Spillane’s Tower shaped with a fair degree of promise too.

Having initially raced keenly behind the leaders, he dropped back to the rear of mid-field, presumably for cover, and made good late ground in the manner of one that would like a longer trip, his jumping safe throughout.

A five-year-old, connections have opted to send him over fences early in his career after a promising if truncated hurdles career and he looks well up to winning races, albeit handicaps may be the long-term plan.

Buddy One gained a deserved success in the competitive staying handicap hurdle and is headed to Cheltenham in November for his next start, and again there was promise from a few down the field.

The fourth, Missiee, shaped like she would prefer a lesser test, racing freely early and making a good move to press the winner early in the straight before flattening out late.

This was her first run since March, and she also had to deal with being shuffled back after three out in a race where most of those involved in the finish were ridden forward. A mark of 110 means she can drop into lower grade races.

Missiee had been behind Alpesh Amin on her most recent start and that one also shaped well here off a break, coming from rear after a notably wide passage in the later stages, not given a hard time to run on into sixth.

He won twice last season but is not done with on this evidence and has only had the three starts in handicaps.