Tag Archive for: Dan Skelton

Le Milos leading National charge for Skelton – and could be joined by Ashtown Lad

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Dan Skelton could be set for a two-pronged assault on the Randox Grand National, with both Le Milos and Ashtown Lad catching the eye among the 85 entries for the April 15 contest.

Only 31 of the possible runners for the Merseyside marathon hail from British trainers, but both of the Lodge Hill contenders strike as live candidates for the Aintree showpiece judged on their exploits before Christmas when landing the Coral Gold Cup and Becher Chase respectively.

The duo are now now being prepared to run again over the next few weeks, with Le Milos set to complete his National preparation in Kelso’s Premier Chase – a race which has been used by the likes of Ballabriggs and Many Clouds to tune up for Aintree in the past – while Ashtown Lad will head to Ascot on February 18 before a final decision on his participation is made.

“They are both really well and we’ve had no problems at all,” said Skelton.

Le Milos and jockey Harry Skelton (centre) coming home to win the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury
Le Milos and jockey Harry Skelton (centre) coming home to win the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury (John Walton/PA)

“Le Milos goes to Kelso on March 4 for the Premier Chase and Ashtown Lad hopefully runs next at Ascot in the Swinley Handicap Chase, and then we will have a think about what we do with him.

“Le Milos will go to Kelso and then straight to the Grand National. I’m very happy with him.

“Ashtown Lad is proven over the fences, but there is a question mark over the trip. The plan is to run him next Saturday and then have a proper think about it.”

The Irish have dominated the Grand National in recent years winning the last four and five of the last six runnings. They are responsible for almost two thirds of the initial entries this time around with entries from the home team thin on the ground.

However, the man responsible for two of the better-fancied British runners believes the lack of numbers could be due to trainers having to be more selective with their entries.

“We’ve got two nice entries,” explained Skelton. “The Grand National is unique, you have to stay the trip number one and you have to be appropriate for the fences.

“It costs £950 at the first stage and I think the down on numbers entry is reflective of the whole situation at the moment. People have to be responsible with their entries, you can’t just fire anything in. Perhaps people are just being a bit more delicate with their entries.”

Third Time Lucki back to winning ways at Sandown

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Third Time Lucki stayed on nicely under a well-timed ride from Kielan Woods to collar long-time leader Fast Buck in the Virgin Bet Dolos Handicap Chase at Sandown.

The Dan Skelton-trained eight-year-old had won a couple of Grade Two contests in his novice season and had chased home Arkle winner Edwardstone in the Kingmaker at Warwick, yet had a bit to prove after a few lacklustre efforts subsequently.

With conditions ideal and fit from his seasonal bow, Mike and Eileen Newbould’s gelding was content to sit near the rear of the field before making stealthy headway to three out.

He cruised upsides Fast Buck at the last and powered up the hill for a fourth career success over fences.

Skelton said: “It was nice to see him come back. Obviously he did really well as a novice last year and struggled with a high handicap at the start of the season.

“He benefitted from an absolutely outstanding ride today. It was as nice a ride as you’d see. I’m delighted to see the horse get his head back in front.

“The ground was better. It was dead old ground, I would not be calling it lovely, good, spring ground, but it is significantly better than he won on the last twice, which has been a big help to him, no question.”

Third Time Lucki received a quote of 8-1 with Coral for the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival, although Skelton is in two minds.

He said: “He’ll have an entry. I’m not jumping up and down, it’s not the only thing, but he’ll get an entry for sure.”

Charlie Deutsch takes the plaudits after Green Book's victory
Charlie Deutsch takes the plaudits after Green Book’s victory (Steven Paston/PA)

There is not much of Green Book apart from heart, guts and an indelible will to please.

The Venetia Williams-trained 6-1 chance landed the Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle for the second year in succession under Charlie Deutsch, pricking his ears after the last as he drew three lengths clear of Call Me Lord.

After his fourth career success over hurdles, the Kings Caple handler said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. He was originally going to run in the Lanzarote and I just thought that might be too much of a speed test, so we thought we’d leave him for the Lingfield three-miler, but that went west (with the meeting abandoned), so we really had to wait for this.

“I’m delighted we did. He is such a remarkable little horse. There’s nothing flashy at all. He is just amazing – he just keeps doing it.”

Chasing Fire remained unbeaten under Aidan Coleman
Chasing Fire remained unbeaten under Aidan Coleman (Steven Paston/PA)

Chasing Fire is a horse with immense promise and remained unbeaten with a third success over hurdles under Aidan Coleman.

The Olly Murphy-trained six-year-old had won a couple of bumpers last season, before two successive 16-length victories in each of his two hurdles contests at Market Rasen.

The Virgin Bet Novices’ Hurdle was a step up in class, one which the 4-6 favourite handled with ease, taking up the running from Iliko D’Olivate two out and drawing readily clear to win by six lengths.

Coral were impressed, cutting him to 14-1 (from 20-1) for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Murphy said: “I think he is good, but I don’t know how good he is. His main attribute is that he has got the most unbelievable way of doing everything.

“He is the most laid-back horse you will ever set your eyes on. He is in the Supreme and I would (like to have a go at it).

“He would be a 12-1 or 16-1 chance for the Supreme and if I didn’t go there I would be all but favourite for a Grade One at Aintree and that would be the Gold Cup of his novice career. He is going to be a very good chaser next season.

“I’ve had some good two-milers and I’ve been second and third in the race (Supreme). I’ve never had a horse to win a Supreme or be a champion, but he is unbeaten and he does what he has to do.”

Twin Power sparked a double for Paul Nicholls and jockey Adrian Heskin
Twin Power sparked a double for Paul Nicholls and jockey Adrian Heskin (Steven Paston/PA)

Twin Power (9-2) held off odds-on favourite Twin Jets to take the Virgin Bet Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

The Paul Nicholls-trained winner reversed the form with that rival, who had beaten him by nine lengths at Plumpton, but took advantage of an 8lb pull in the weights to win by a length and a quarter under Adrian Heskin and gain a first win in three tries over hurdles.

Inthewaterside (13-2) completed the Nicholls-Heskin double on the card when following up his Exeter bumper debut success, taking the Virgin Bet Open National Hunt Flat Race by six and a half lengths.

Skelton forced to rule Shan Blue out for the season

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Dan Skelton’s Shan Blue has met with a setback which will rule him out for the remainder of this season.

A highly-talented Grade One-winning novice chaser, he had the 2021 Charlie Hall Chase at his mercy only to suffer a heavy fall three fences from home.

He was being aimed at this season’s Charlie Hall, but a minor problem prevented him from going there. He did make it back to Wetherby for the Rowland Meyrick on Boxing Day when unfortunately he was pulled up at halfway.

“Shan Blue has a complication in his pelvis. It is not a true fracture, or anything like that. It is just a weird situation, but it is basically going to rule him out for the season. It is very frustrating,” said Skelton.

“He has just never had any luck since that day at Wetherby when he fell. That is horses for you. You just have to enjoy them when they win.

“Those big horses, they are hard to come by, for the owners, for the yard. You put so much emotional investment into it. It is hard to detach from it and it guts you when it goes like that.”

Protektorat primed for Cheltenham clash with Noble Yeats

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Dan Skelton feels the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham will answer a lot of questions regarding Protektorat’s Gold Cup claims.

Hugely impressive in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on his seasonal reappearance, in which last season’s Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard disappointed, Skelton immediately nominated a trip to Prestbury Park as a prep for the Festival.

Rather than scare away the opposition this coming Saturday, though, the spate of recent abandonments and other issues mean he will face a keen test of his credentials against the likes of Grand National winner Noble Yeats, a previous King George winner in Frodon and Sounds Russian.

“I’m not saying Protektorat is an absolute certainty as if your man turns up (Noble Yeats) he is a shorter price in the Gold Cup, rightly or wrongly, whatever your opinion is. It is going to be enlightening to see them lining up against each other,” said Skelton.

“Noble Yeats was very good in the Many Clouds Chase which you would expect a Grand National winner to be able to do.

“You can’t deny Noble Yeats’ ability and stamina and I don’t think he will be inconvenienced by his lack of experience at the track. However, Protektorat has just turned into a real good stayer and that is very important around Cheltenham.”

Protektorat oozed class at Haydock and Skelton, who has his horses firing on all cylinders after a quiet Christmas, said: “I think the win at Haydock suggested that he had improved from last season which we had seen at home but he still had to confirm that on the track.

“We’ve not changed anything in his training regime just as they get that bit older and stronger you can do that bit more with them that is the truth.

“He went through the race very well and picked up very well. I was surprised how he scampered clear after the last, which I thought was very good.

“All in all it was just good to see him come out and win like that.”

Assessing his Gold Cup rivals, Skelton is well aware of the task ahead.

“I thought Bravemansgame was very good at Kempton and I think he put to bed any doubts about really seeing that trip out,” he said.

“He has now won a King George which is probably the second biggest chase on the calendar in the UK. Any doubts people could have about him have been dispelled and it enhanced him for a Gold Cup even more.

“Galopin Des Champs is yet to take race beyond an extended two-miles-five-furlongs over fences but that appears to be the only answered question about him as there is no question about his class and ability.

“The Dublin Racing Festival will tell you a little bit about what chances a lot of the Irish guys have and what form they are in.

“We also haven’t seen last year’s Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard since his no show in the Betfair Chase but you would be foolish to write him off as well.”

Skeltons chasing more weekend headlines at Haydock

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Harry and Dan Skelton have their eyes on another fruitful day on Saturday following a dream weekend at Warwick and Kempton.

A Grade Two double at Warwick courtesy of Grey Dawning and Galia Des Liteaux was supplemented by the mare West Balboa winning the Lanzarote Hurdle under Bridget Andrews, who is Harry Skelton’s wife.

The brothers have now set their sights on Haydock with the exciting Pembroke entered in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle, old favourite Blaklion in the Peter Marsh Chase and Lac De Constance in the Patrick Coyne Memorial Altcar Novices Chase.

“Lac De Constance was good first time, but just a bit novicey second time,” said Harry Skelton.

Blaklion could be out again this weekend
Blaklion could be out again this weekend (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I think the step up to two and half (miles) will help him. The softer the ground, the better. He has Arkle and Turners Novices’ Chase entries (at the Cheltenham Festival), but nothing is set in stone for him.

“If Blaklion goes, he loves it round Haydock, loves the heavy ground. He seems in really good form at home and he seems to have much the same enthusiasm.

“Pembroke will be up in class and it was a good performance at Ludlow last time. We hope he can cope with going up in class.

“He is a nice, progressive horse. He is a lovely horse, long-term, who we think will be really good.”

Mr Incredible advertises National credentials in defeat

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Mr Incredible may have failed in his late quest to run down Iwilldoit in the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick, but his pilot Brian Hayes believes it sets the seven-year-old up perfectly for a tilt at the Randox Grand National on April 15.

Willie Mullins’ raider was just under three lengths adrift of the winner at the line, but having been ridden with patience in the early salvos, was rattling home at a fair pace under the Irishman, keeping on and reducing the deficit with every stride.

Mr Incredible is owned by Paul Byrne, who was the owner of last year’s Grand National winner Noble Yeats before selling the Emmet Mullins-trained eight-year-old to Robert Waley-Cohen prior to Aintree.

And he could have another contender for the world’s most famous steeplechase on his hands with the son of Westerner available at 33-1 with both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Merseyside marathon.

“It was a cracking run,” said Hayes. “He really warmed up into it. He was a bit slow away and I took the time with him then as was the plan and I was pulling a roller coming down the hill.

“He finished really well. He just missed the second-last and got under the last a little bit, which slowed him down a little bit but the way he finished you would like to think he would be a good horse who will run well in the Grand National anyway.

“I would say the Grand National will be the number one target after that run.”

And the rider, who is a key cog in Mullins’ Closutton team, believes he would have passed the Sam Thomas-trained scorer if the race was run over an extra 50 yards.

When asked if he thought he would catch Iwilldoit, he responded: “I thought so, I was hoping the line wasn’t going to come any earlier and unfortunately it did, another 50 yards and he gets up.”

Aintree could also be on the equation for Dan Skelton’s Ashtown Lad, despite only finishing second in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.

A winner over the National fences in the Becher chase earlier this term, he cruised into contention in eyecatching fashion under the trainer’s brother Harry Skelton, but could not grind down Charlie Longsdon’s game Glimpse Of Gala when it mattered most.

“That was a really good run and we’re really happy to him,” said Skelton. “Fair play to the winner as she’s a really gritty horse and she picked up well, but ours isn’t a hurdler.

Ashtown Lad ridden by jockey Harry Skelton on their way to winning the Boylesports Becher Chase (Premier Handicap) at Aintree
Ashtown Lad ridden by jockey Harry Skelton on their way to winning the Boylesports Becher Chase (Premier Handicap) at Aintree (Nigel French/PA)

“I wanted to run him because he’s in good form at home and I didn’t want to then press hard in early February, so that will just keep him ticking over and I’m really happy with him.

“He didn’t quite stay from the back of the last, three miles in soft ground over hurdles is a long trip for any horse. You’re going to want to ask me Grand National questions and that’s my only concern with him – I still have a very unanswered question about that trip.

“He’ll go to Ascot next for the Swinley Chase and I think he’ll be a fair player. I think 145 has got you into the National every year so we’ll see.”

Meanwhile Longsdon was delighted that 5-1 favourite Guetapan Collonges proved he was capable of holding his own when fourth in the day’s feature.

The Chipping Norton-based handler described the race as a “sink or swim” moment for the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old and he thrilled his trainer in the manner he stayed on.

“I’m delighted with him, over the moon with him,” said Longsdon.

“He’s only run in five- and six-runner races all last season. He fell in a two-runner race at Sedgefield, he ran in a six-runner race here. Everyone cribbed his jumping, but he jumped beautifully and Richie McLernon said he got into some rhythm.

“He’s still really weak and Richie said he’s just too weak this year. But another summer on his back and he’ll be a proper horse for all these slow-ground staying chases next year.

“This was a sink or swim today and he definitely stood up to be counted.”

Lanzarote hero West Balboa gives Bridget Andrews a winner to savour

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West Balboa just pipped Red Risk in a thrilling finish to the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton – capping a memorable afternoon for trainer Dan Skelton and providing Bridget Andrews with one of the most valuable winners of her career.

Skelton had stayed closer to home at Warwick where he was on hand to witness a Grade Two double courtesy of Galia Des Liteaux and Grey Dawning, both ridden by his brother, Harry.

It was Harry’s wife Andrews who was on board West Balboa, and the pair cruised into contention as one by one the field thinned out.

Still in it was Charles Byrnes’ ante-post favourite Green Glory, Up For Parol and Red Risk, ridden by 7lb conditional Freddie Gingell.

West Balboa (12-1) held a slight advantage on the run to the final flight but met it all wrong, seemingly handing the initiative to Red Risk, as Up For Parol weakened.

Bridget Andrew won the Lanzarote
Bridget Andrew won the Lanzarote (PA)

To the mare’s credit, though, she battled back gamely and while a photograph was needed to separate the pair, there was a short head in it.

“She gave me a dream ride and I couldn’t believe the race went so smoothly. I travelled into the race so well and ended up getting there too soon and was left on my own,” said Andrews, who has bounced back from a serious injury suffered in a fall at Warwick last year.

“I’ve always known she was good. After the Challow (second) last year we put her away and she’s come back better than ever, so much so that I think she can step forward again.”

She added: “It’s races like this that you come back for. I had a broken neck which resulted in a long break, but I was lucky it happened in the summer.

“I get as much joy watching Harry ride big winners and everyone at the yard were so incredibly supportive.”

It was a great day for Dan Skelton
It was a great day for Dan Skelton (Simon Marper/PA)

Speaking from Warwick Skelton said: “She was gutsy when she needed to be.

“She probably made life harder than she needed to at the last two hurdles, she just got under them. If she had pinged either of the last two life would have been easier.

“But I’m very happy, she’s obviously stepped forward from her last run and that Stage Star form from last year is top form so she was entitled to go and do that.

“She could come here for the Listed race on February 11- the race Marie’s Rock won last year. But I would be very respectful of the fact she has just put in a big effort so if she needed a bit more time then we would have to have a think.”

Skelton’s yard went quiet over the busy Christmas period but are well and truly back in form now.

“There was never any question in my mind there was a bug,” he said.

“But what they did, two weeks before Christmas when we went down to minus 8C, a few of them got a cold. That’s all it was, I was never ever concerned there was a bug, because they weren’t going round bleeding or all the other things when you get a proper bug.

“I just knew they were under par as an overall and a few individuals were well, well below where they should be. But we give them 14 days off and their flu vaccinations and they can come out of it well.

“Results are the most important part of it and they have gone our way. No grumbling.”

Grey Dawning takes step up in class in his stride

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Grey Dawning stayed on stoutly to throw his hat into the ring for the Cheltenham Festival with a gritty display in the Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick.

Winner of a handicap off just 123 at Kempton on Boxing Day, Dan Skelton’s charge faced a huge rise in class for the Grade Two event.

Won by the likes of Inglis Drever, Carruthers, The New One and Willoughby Court in the past, the race can certainly throw up a top-class performer.

On paper at least it looked wide open, with Gary Moore’s Givega, related to the great Quevega, sent off the 3-1 favourite in a field of seven.

Harry Skelton returns triumphant
Harry Skelton returns triumphant (Nigel French/PA)

Lucinda Russell’s Snake Roll tried to stretch the field but his jumping fell apart down the back straight when Paul Nicholls’ Knowsley Road, Tom Lacey’s Ginny’s Destiny and the eventual winner all pulled clear.

Grey Dawning (9-2) briefly looked in trouble at one stage and then when Harry Skelton went for a gap between the other two, it began to close.

Skelton had enough horse underneath him, though, and the grey pulled clear in testing conditions to win by five lengths from Ginny’s Destiny.

A delighted winning trainer said: “We’ve always liked him. It’s pretty obvious to say a horse that has won two bumpers you are quite excited about as a novice hurdler, but you’ve got to go and convert that and I think he has done. It was no disgrace to get beat first time, we needed the run a little bit then, but the horse of (David) Pipe’s that beat us is a good horse in his own right.

“This horse has got progressive now and he’s just smart, he’s very smart.

“I had to go to Kempton because he was so well handicapped and I knew I wanted to come here with something. I had Pembroke in mind, but I just think he wants to stick at two miles for now so he’ll go to the Rossington Main next weekend. And when I felt that way about Pembroke, I started to feel differently about Grey Dawning.

“He’ll go any trip and he can go further. Harry said he wasn’t loving the ground – he gets away with it, but he wasn’t loving it.

“In fairness it’s probably good that it has rained, he probably wouldn’t be at home on real tacky ground, at least it was a bit loose. He wouldn’t want to race here on Tuesday, I think he’d find that really unpleasant. He’s going the right way though that’s for sure.”

He went on: “My immediate reaction is he should be going three miles rather than two and a half. We’ll enter him in the Albert Bartlett and if we weren’t happy with that we would go to Aintree. We will see how he is and how the landscape looks for Cheltenham, but I would be highly surprised if he ran at Cheltenham if it was anything other than the Friday.

“Over three miles you could probably ride him a bit more and arrive later on the scene. In a weird way, what happened at the last probably isn’t the worst thing in the world to get a bump and make him concentrate a little bit because when he hit the front at Kempton he ran all over the shop. He’s probably just improving a bit as well and getting the hang of racing.”

Galia Des Liteaux gallops to taking Warwick triumph

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Galia Des Liteaux never put a foot wrong as she jumped her rivals into submission in the eventmasters.co.uk Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

Dan Skelton has made no secret of the regard in which he holds the seven-year-old mare, and when she won a Listed event for mares on her chasing debut the sky looked the limit.

Upped to Grade One level for the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase over Christmas she almost fell at the second and then made another bad mistake at the fifth before she was eventually pulled up.

Connections were content to put a line through that run, insisting that her jumping was sound in the main – and so it proved on this occasion as she put in some big leaps on the way round.

Paul Nicholls’ Complete Unknown was giving vain chase, as was Gordon Elliott’s The Goffer, but neither could ever get on terms.

With the last fence bypassed, Harry Skelton kept Galia Des Liteaux (11-4) up to her work to take Grade Two honours by 13 lengths.

“She made a very bad mistake at the second jump in the Kauto Star and I don’t think anyone would really have beaten Thyme Hill that day. It’s almost a blessing in disguise that she did that because it meant she didn’t have a hard race,” said Dan Skelton.

“I was surprised with what happened at Kempton and because she made the first mistake she made the second one. If she hadn’t made the first one she wouldn’t have made the second one. When you are trying to chase those good horses and making mistakes it’s not going to happen, so Harry did the right thing pulling her up because she wasn’t going. If he had kept going she possibly wouldn’t have been here today.

Galia Des Liteaux (right) in full flight under Harry Skelton
Galia Des Liteaux (right) in full flight under Harry Skelton (Nigel French/PA)

“There’s nothing better than a good lady in your corner. I’m very lucky I have my wife, my daughter and now Galia Des Liteaux as well. We’ve done well with the mares over the years, Roxana probably leads the team – she won a Grade One – but this one is obviously very, very good.

“I know she wants slow ground and we know she stays. She won at Bangor because she’s good. She didn’t win there because two miles suits her, she won there because she’s good. So I was always confident and she’s going in the right direction as a chaser.

“We will be respectful of her efforts there today. It is very easy to say we will go for the Towton (at Wetherby) in three weeks’ time because it will be heavy and it will suit her, but I harbour more respect for her than that.

“We could wait another two weeks and consider the Reynoldstown (at Ascot) then that’s fine. If you got a really, really soft Cheltenham then it would come into consideration, but then you would have to skip the Reynoldstown because you couldn’t do both.

“Then I would perhaps get a bit adventurous and see what mares’ races are available over the other side of the Irish Sea because I can’t see any over here jumping off the page at me at the moment other than the Festival.

“I don’t think she won’t perform well on it (better ground), I just think she’s really, really effective in that sort of ground and sometimes when you have a horse who is really effective in it, they are super effective – they can outrun themselves by 20lb or more and I think she is a horse who is reallyy suited by bad ground.

“She’s a lovely mare with a great attitude.”

Perseus Way out in front in Chatteris Fen victory

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Perseus Way ran out an ultimately decisive winner of the Weatherbys Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle at Huntingdon.

Promising first time over timber at Cheltenham behind Scriptwriter and then a wide-margin scorer at Leicester, the Gary Moore-trained four-year-old was last seen finishing third to Comfort Zone and Dixon Cove in the Grade Two Finale Hurdle at Chepstow.

Keeping close tabs on Start In Front and Despereaux from flag-fall, Jamie Moore’s mount was driven to lead at the second-last and a perfect leap at the final flight went a long way to sealing matters.

Staying on strongly from there, the Olly Harris-owned 10-11 favourite had three lengths to spare at the line over Samuel Spade, who was far from disgraced under his 8lb penalty.

Paddy Power cut Perseus Way to 33-1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle and to 14-1 for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – and it is the latter which appears the most likely target.

Plenty to celebrate after the victory of Perseus Way
Plenty to celebrate after the victory of Perseus Way (PA)

Moore said: “He is a very nice horse and I’m pleased he has done it well today. His jumping is getting better all the time, but it needs to.

“He is getting slicker and quicker and he is starting to enjoy his racing. It was a good run in defeat at Chepstow last time and I felt that Chepstow was probably soft enough for him. We rode him too far back that day and that is why we rode him handier today.

“I don’t think he is good enough to run in the Triumph, but I think he could have a strong chance in the Fred Winter. I may be wrong, I don’t know, but we will take it one step at a time.

“I’m very lucky to have the owner as he is a very good and understanding man. He listens to what I say which makes my job easier.

“He has invested heavily and he deserves all the luck he gets. Fair play to James Savage and Ted Durcan who bought the horse for him.”

Kateira (8-15 favourite) made it two wins in as many starts over obstacles with a bloodless success in the Weatherbys Private Bank Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Trained by Dan Skelton, Kateira had made a triumphant hurdles bow at Uttoxeter in November and jockey Harry Skelton rode with supreme confidence throughout this extended two-and-a-half-mile affair.

Kateira looks to have a very bright future
Kateira looks to have a very bright future (PA)

The six-year-old travelled sweetly into contention, grabbing the initiative before the second-last and accelerating clear, with Skelton taking a long look round on the run to the line.

Winning owner Jackie Chugg said: “That was absolutely brilliant. I’m so pleased as we bred her as well. The mare (Raitera) has had four separate winners including El Presente, who Kateira is a half-sister to. We got the dam in France about 15 years ago from Deauville.

“Kateira should have won today, but she had to carry the penalty and prove herself and she did exactly that. Dan has always thought the world of her. She had to prove plenty today, but she has gone and proved it.

“Dan had a plan before the race to come back here for the Sidney Banks (on February 9) and that’s where she will go next.”

Raffle Ticket outbattled Jay Jay Reilly by a neck in the Weatherbys Hamilton Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

The 11-4 shot had to dig deep for Alex Edwards, but the Mel Rowley-trained Raffle Ticket just prevailed after a thrilling battle in a race that had a sad postscript with news The Cob had suffered a fatal injury.