HARRY SKELTON: Cheltenham Festival Debrief

Cheltenham last week was great. The horses all performed really well and it was a brilliant team effort to get them all there in such great order, and of course to come away with a couple of winners, writes HARRY SKELTON.

Now attention turns to Aintree!

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TUESDAY

MYDADDYPADDY

It was a great run to finish third in the Supreme. I thought I was coming through to win but he wasn’t quite strong enough at the end of the race. There’s lots to look forward to next season, whether we go chasing or stay over hurdles. He’s only five-year-old and hopefully there’s plenty more to come.

THE NEW LION

The pace in the Champion Hurdle wasn’t that strong and then it lifted quickly from the back of the second last. He perhaps just lacked a change of gear and could have done with a stronger gallop on a bit softer ground. It looks like he wants a step up in trip now, especially on that sort of ground. He ran really well and it was good to see him finish the race off strongly, but Lossiemouth was too good on the day.

MADARA

He put in a great display. He jumped and travelled round and did everything I wanted, and then quickened up to put the race to bed well. He’s going to get a hike in the weights after that but he’s only a seven-year-old and hopefully he can take that in his stride.

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WEDNESDAY

BOSSMAN JACK & SOLDIER REEVES

Soldier Reeves and Bossman Jack both ran very promising races in the Turners, finishing fourth and sixth, and were not beaten far. I think Bossman Jack would have gone a lot closer were it not for a bad mistake at the last. There’s lots to look forward to with both of them and they’ll both go chasing next season.

L’EAU DU SUD

He ran well to finish third in the Champion Chase but was ultimately brushed aside by Il Etait Temps. The ground was probably lively enough for him but he still put in a good performance.

BE AWARE

He blew out in the Grand Annual and was disappointing. He can lose his head a bit in those big competitive handicaps, so perhaps he’s better suited to smaller fields.

METS TA CEINTURE

She’s a filly with plenty of gears, as she showed when finishing second in the Champion Bumper. She looks to have a really bright future when we go over hurdles.

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THURSDAY

KABRAL DU MATHAN

To be honest, I thought he was home for all money in the Stayers’, as long as we stayed, but unfortunately we didn’t. I jumped the last and the engine just emptied, so he clearly didn’t stay. We thought three miles was worth a shot and at least we know now. We’ll drop him back in trip now but whether we stick to hurdling or go chasing next season, I don’t know yet. What we do know is we have a horse with plenty of ability – to travel as he did in a race like that was very impressive.

SUPREMELY WEST

He did get the trip and saw it out really well to land the Pertemps Final. He travelled round like a good thing and the stiff three miles was really to his liking. It was a great performance and fantastic to give owner Jimmy Fyffe his first Cheltenham Festival winner. He’s obviously now going to get a whack in the weights, so whether we go up in grade, I don’t know.

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FRIDAY

MAESTRO CONTI

I thought he ran a very good race in the Triumph, just getting done late on by a horse with a bit more pace. He stayed on really well and is a very promising horse to look forward to. We’ll see how he comes out of the race and let him tell us if we have another go this season. There’s certainly lots to look forward to with him next season.

PANIC ATTACK

She ran well really but just lacked the change of gear on the ground and over the trip to challenge Dinoblue in the Mares’ Chase. She’s obviously in great form and hopefully she gets a run in the National as she could have a live chance.

MONEYGARROW

He came there with every chance running to the last in the Albert Bartlett and I thought he was going to go very close. It surprised us a little bit that his stamina ran out up the hill, but maybe the time before at Windsor he just had to quicken up whereas Cheltenham was more of a stamina test over the three miles. We’ll drop back in trip now. He’s obviously a horse with a fair level of ability.

GREY DAWNING

He ran very creditably in the Gold Cup. While he was only fourth, to get into the winners’ enclosure after the Gold Cup is a very hard thing to do. The Gold Cup trip of three-and-a-quarter miles is so unique – the last quarter of a mile is such a test – and he didn’t quite see it out. He jumped and travelled and did everything right, so I think he did as well as he could on the day. We’re very proud of him and it was a great run. We’ll look to see how he is now and possibly head to Aintree with him.

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