WHILE feature and graded races will always get the headlines, there is much to interest me, and I am sure many others, in the profiles of bumper winners, both here in Ireland and in Britain. Lurking among their numbers will surely be some who will go on to become familiar in the years to come. As the National Hunt season nears an end, many of these winners will now head straight to hurdling, and even a few to chasing.

I am taking a look at some of the recent winners, and perhaps something in their family pedigrees will give us a clue as to those we might hear about again and again. Pride of place has to go to the winner of the valuable Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper which carries a hefty €59,000 winner’s purse. The 2023 and 2024 races were won by Brighterdaysahead and Kopek Des Bordes, and this week it was announced that the race has a new name, sponsor and venue.