HARRY SKELTON: Weekend Debrief & Season Reflection

Sandown is always a great day, and the Finale this year was full of highs and lows for us – Saturday really summed up the sport, writes HARRY SKELTON.

That saw Doyen Quest break the £5 million prize money target. It was an unbelievable feeling going back into the winner’s enclosure, one that will hopefully last a very long time.

On to Uttoxeter this week, back to £0, and hopefully we can do it all again!

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Harry Skelton’s Season Reflection 🗣️

As far as the season went, incredible. We set out to do one thing this year and that was to get Dan to be Champion Trainer, that was the objective. Dan obviously had it planned, he thought if he could break £4 million that’s something Willie’s never done and no one’s ever done and he thought that’d be enough to stop everyone beating him and he was right.

The horses have just danced every tune throughout the season, and they haven’t missed a beat. That’s credit to the staff for keeping them in such good form and it’s just been a hell of a year. Heading coming to Cheltenham [Festival] with a couple of winners, Grade 1 winners, Aintree winners, it was just a magic season capped off by breaking £5 million on Doyen Quest.

SANDOWN

SATURDAY

MADE U BLUSH & QUEEN MAEVE

First race, Tristan came and got me late on, but I thought Made U Blush ran very well, but she probably just idled a little bit when she hit the front. We obviously didn’t go that quick, and she jumped the last well. I thought she got first run, but we were giving a lot of weight away to Queen Maeve, 16lb is a lot of weight and obviously Queen Maeve is improving as well.

Two improving fillies, both going the right way, and they both ran very well. We might just have a look and keep going with them both. There’s a possibility Made U Blush might run back on the Flat, so she’s got plenty of options.

DUTCH CORNER

The second race we just ran Dutch Corner, I thought he ran well enough, he’s just not the strongest-minded at the minute, he’s a bit wayward still. He had a good gallop, and he settled and jumped fine, but I did feel like when we started to pick up and got running to the last, he sort of wandered a bit a little bit out to his left rather than concentrating on running forwards.

So, he’s got to mature a bit and improve mentally more than anything, but hopefully this run will be good under his belt and hopefully he’s learnt a bit more.

DOYEN QUEST AND BREAKING £5 MILLION

It was then down to Doyen Quest to break the £5 million. Unbelievable, what a moment, I haven’t had many days like that to be honest.

Doyen Quest answered every call, jumped well, kept on very gamely and gave me his all. To go over the line and break £5 million in that way was incredible, and that was sort of the last thing we could get done and we managed to get over the line and get it done.

Coming back into that winner’s enclosure, it was packed, and it is obviously well known that all our staff were there, Dan organised a coach to take everyone down, and he promised them if we won a championship, he would, so all the staff were there. It was just an unbelievable feeling to come back in with everyone cheering and great to be part of such a strong team.

I think in your career there’s days where you just don’t remember but that’s one that I think will live long in the memory and I haven’t had many days better than that on the racecourse.

THISTLE ASK

Then all of a sudden, you’re back down, lower than low. Losing Thistle Ask was just heartbreaking.

He had an unbelievable 12 months really since he came to us and he improved phenomenal amounts and was a thrill to ride, a proper two-miler and he was improving and going the right way. Unfortunately, he took a bit of a chance at the water jump and suffered a fatal injury. And you know that just sums up the sport, you’re and you’re down and it’s the worst thing that can happen.

When you’re so fond of these horses and attached, its heartbreaking to lose them, but he was out there doing what he enjoyed, jumping like a stag, running along on the front end, enjoying himself. He’s an athlete, he’s bred to do the job, so unfortunately it happens. I’m just sorry for all the connections and owners, we will remember the good times with him.

MIRABAD

Obviously with Thistle Ask coming down, Tristan came out the side door on Mirabad, he said he shouldn’t have come off, and it was one of those things where he literally just jinked and fell out the side door. These things happen, it wasn’t the first and won’t be the last time it happens to him.

PALAMON

Palamon needs a stronger-run race. I think he needs a really good strong gallop, he travels quite well but to see at his best effects I think a strong run, two-and-a-half-miles, that’s when he’s at his best.

LISTENTOYOURHEART

Listentoyourheart ran in the last, a slowly run race, probably wasn’t very well positioned towards the rear of the field and we quickened up and I could never land a blow. Could never get into the race, I was just on the back foot in a slowly run race but she’s had a long enough season so she’ll probably have a break now.

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