HARRY SKELTON: Weekly Debrief

We were delighted to come away from the November Meeting at Cheltenham with four winners, and with a bit more luck we could have had more, writes HARRY SKELTON.

It’s fantastic to have the horses in such good form, which is testament to all the hard work of our stable staff, and long may it continue.

---

David Power Cup

The new David Power Jockeys’ Cup is a very exciting initiative. It’s a great opportunity for jockeys and, while there’s obviously unbelievable prize money on offer, if this helps bring a wider audience to the sport then it can only be a good thing.

I think it will work alongside the current Jockeys’ Championship because a lot of riders that may be in contention for that will be riding in ITV races anyway. I think they can work together, and it’s great that there is such a significant extra pool of money coming into racing.

A lot of thanks go to the sponsors and hopefully it proves a success for the sport. I think further down the line, everyone in racing can benefit from it. It’s focused on jockeys at the moment, but there’s also prize money for trainers and stable staff, and in the future maybe it can open up other avenues within racing, which would only be positive. I’m really looking forward to competing for the cup throughout the season.

---

FRIDAY

VALGRAND

I think it was evident that he didn’t stay the extra half mile. He jumped well, but just didn’t stay on the day and the winner was too good. Fair play to the winner, who looks like a nice horse.

We’ll dust ourselves down and drop back to two miles with him now. You never know, in the spring he might be lining up in the County Hurdle or something like that. I still think he’s got a bright future, and he should make a chaser in time too.

---

SATURDAY

L’EAU DU SUD

He travelled and jumped brilliantly and put the race to bed in an instant, so he can do no more than win how he did. Obviously, the competition is going to get better further down the line and we’ll have to take on the Irish horses, but that’s out of our hands. We always felt fences were going to be the making of him; he didn’t have such an advantage over hurdles as a lot of his rivals could get away with not being as exuberant as he is over fences. He’s the best two-mile novice chaser we’ve got and we’re excited about his future.

He’ll go to Sandown now for the Grade 1 King Henry VIII and then we’ll work back from the Arkle from there.

PROTEKTORAT

He was very fresh for his first run of the season and ran with the choke out a bit. He jumped great, and just took a big blow coming to three out before getting tired from the back of the last. Even so, it was a really good performance off that weight. I mentioned beforehand that I thought he would come on for the run and I think the way he ran confirmed that.

Where we go next isn’t certain. He tends to jump and lean slightly left-handed, so that is a factor. We may just have to look slightly outside the box this side of Christmas due to the races that are available to him. The Peterborough Chase could be an option, but ultimately all roads lead back to the Ryanair.

DOYEN QUEST

Stepping up to three miles for the first time he went on to win nicely, barring one bad mistake at the second hurdle which was my fault as I asked him for too big a stride after I had got him relaxed and switched off. Luckily, he stood up and from there he travelled into the race really well and picked up well from the back of the last.

How far he can go, I don’t know, but he’s an improving horse. On his way back to the winners’ enclosure he was jig-jogging, so he obviously hadn’t had too hard a race. That’s what he’s like and I think there’s plenty to come from him. We’ll see how he is throughout this week and all being well he’ll line up for the valuable three-mile handicap hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.

---

SUNDAY

ACE OF SPADES

Cheltenham’s a great place to lose your maiden tag and I was delighted for all his owners. Making the running wasn’t ideal, as he was very green and babyish out in front, but hopefully going forward he’ll learn from that. I was impressed with how he fought on from the back of the last hurdle and I think in the end he ran out a ready winner.

He should be better over two-and-a-half miles when getting a lead. He improved in his bumpers last season, and we’d like to think he can do the same over hurdles.

BE AWARE

I was delighted with Be Aware, who ran a great race to finish second in the Greatwood. He travelled very strongly in the early stages, but from the top of the hill, I felt I was in top gear. Once I hit the rising ground, he stayed on really strongly. I got to the winner and if I was good enough, I would have gone by him, but Burdett Road pulled out a bit more. Arguably he might just have wanted a bit softer ground to slow the others down a bit. He has won over two-miles-five-furlongs, but we wanted to start out over two miles as he can be a bit keen, he’s a bit highly strung at home and we have to just manage his mind at the moment. When he learns to relax in a race, he’ll be even better.

We’ll aim him at the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot over Christmas now. I’d like to think that he can win a good handicap this season.

FORTUNE DE MER

It was nice to turn the tables on Block Rockin Beats after their last run. I felt we threw the race away a little bit last time, as he was very green when he got to the front. I didn’t want to let that happen again, so I had to ride him confidently. I didn’t want to hit the front too soon, and ideally wanted the rail and a horse between him to keep him straight, so luckily that’s how it turned out.

He won with plenty in hand. It’s going to be a big step up in a Champion Bumper, but that’s the race we’re going to work back from. He has got a quirky side but he’s a horse with an awful lot of ability.

---

The week ahead

I’ll be at Warwick on Thursday, at Ascot on Friday and then I’m off up to Haydock on Saturday.

Honky Tonk Highway, who won a Listed bumper at Sandown last season, is hopefully going to make her debut over hurdles this week and wherever she goes, I’d like to think she’ll run really well.

I’m looking forward to Grey Dawning at Haydock on Saturday. He went for a racecourse gallop last week and seems in great form, so we couldn’t be any happier with him. Hopefully they get a bit of rain up there beforehand.

---

STAR PROMOTIONS