Book Review - The Final Flight Jumps Guide 2015-2016

October 11^th

Chepstow’s excellent two-day card continues today and Alan Potts has highlighted a couple of French imports to look out for future reference in ‘Guest Contributions’. Also look out for Ross Miles’s Week 5 NFL preview after two highly profitable weeks.

I am pleased to announce that Paul Ferguson, author of Jumpers To Follow 2015/2016 which I reviewed last week in the blog, will be providing a monthly Novice Notebook feature for us in 'Guest Contributions' this jumps season. Purchasers of his publication down the years will know that this is the area where he concentrates his thoughts. On the subject of jump season publications and book reviews, below is the second of three such books in the series I am covering.

Book Review

I reviewed the ninth edition of Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow 2015-2016 in the blog on October 2^nd and now it’s the turn of a newcomer to the NH Season preview publications called THE FINAL FLIGHT JUMPS GUIDE 2015-2016.

As with similar publications, the main focus is on their Top Prospects, of which 40 are given a page each, and the vast majority of which are novice hurdlers and chasers. As with Paul Ferguson’s guide, Minella Rocco, is featured amongst the elite so clearly I am not the only one keen on him this season!

Arguably even more interesting is their section on handicappers featuring 20 horses that they believe start the season on a lenient mark listing their current rating and an evaluation of what rating they think they might end up at the end of the campaign. Ambitious in the latter respect, though the overall idea is a good one not featured in any similar publication to the best of my knowledge, but we’ll let the end of season be the ultimate judge of that. They have also gone down the point-to-point route listing horses yet to race under Rules so that’s the section if you like your dark ‘uns and given their ante-post views on the four big championship races at Cheltenham which includes a 16/1 shot for the Gold Cup.

The authors are Grant Copson and Lee Lewis. Grant is 23 and describes himself as passionate about jump racing and writing. If he is looking to move into horseracing journalism then we all have to begin somewhere and this is a very good start. Lee is 14 years his senior and provides the wealth of knowledge and is a keen form student which is key to the book. Both have different areas of expertise that compliment each other very well.

As you would expect for a debutant publication The Final Flight wouldn’t have the same depth as the three main horses to follow books written by individuals (rather than companies) that have been around for many years and have their loyal followers so this is a difficult market to break into but, for a first attempt, it’s good and the passion shines through as it only can with jumps-based guides rather than the Flat.

Priced at £9.95, if you want to order or find out more about the publication then visit their website www.thefinalflight.co.uk.