Tag Archive for: Galia Des Liteaux

‘She’s a real tank of a mare’ – Skelton sweet on Galia Des Liteaux in Brown Advisory

/in /by

Dan Skelton has highlighted Galia Des Liteaux as his best chance of picking up a fifth Cheltenham Festival victory, providing the mare gets her optimum conditions at Prestbury Park.

The soft-ground loving seven-year-old has looked a real versatile talent this year, with chasing successes over both two miles and three miles sandwiching her one blip in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Although she holds an entry for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase on the final day of the Festival, Skelton is favouring a tilt at the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over three miles having proven her staying credentials when winning the Hampton Court at Warwick in good style last month.

He said: “If it rains I think Galia Des Liteaux has a massive chance in the Brown Advisory.

“She was an excellent winner of the Grade Two Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick last month. Nothing went to plan in the Kauto Star at Kempton the month before that – she jumped on the second jump and I feel because she did that she missed one midway through the race and Harry (Skelton) pulled her up.

“There was a bit of chatter about shadows at Kempton that day, but I’m not using that as an excuse. These things can happen in novice chases. She put the record straight at Warwick last time out and she loves soft ground.

“She’s a great big strong mare, she doesn’t look like a mare when you stand her up. Everything is big about her, she has big feet, big limbs and she’s a real tank of a mare.

“If you got a soft ground Brown Advisory, I think getting 7lb she would be a certain player.”

Galia Des Liteaux, during a visit to Dan Skelton’s stables at Lodge Hill
Galia Des Liteaux, during a visit to Dan Skelton’s stables at Lodge Hill (Jacob King/PA)

Three of Skelton’s four Festival victories have come in the County Hurdle and talented novice Pembroke, along with West Cork, could seek to add to that tally

“Pembroke was a non stayer at the Trials meeting in the Grade Two novice hurdle and that was the only small question mark,” continued Skelton.

“I thought he would stay and he didn’t and we have to drop back in trip and he will be in the County Hurdle.

“He just didn’t stay and I think if he had stayed we would have a different thought pattern. But he has to come back in trip and the New Course will suit him better than the old course.”

“If we can get a run under his belt, West Cork will also go for the County Hurdle.”

Midnight River got on the scoresheet at Prestbury Park on New Year’s Day and is set to return for the Plate over the same course and distance.

“He won on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham and I never like to use a word like entitled in sport, but it was obvious he would be able to win a race like that judged on his run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November,” said the Lodge Hill handler.

“A little bit of slower ground on New Year’s Day did him no harm and I would love the ground to be good to soft, soft in places for the Plate.

“My opinion on the ground is if it is not ideal ground to run him in the Plate then it is not going to be ideal ground full stop, which is why I would keep away from considering the Ultima.”

Third Time Lucki is disputing favouritism for the Grand Annual, but is not a guaranteed starter in the helter-skelter handicap on day two of the meeting.

Skelton is tempted to save the recent Sandown scorer for Aintree, but the possibility of optimum conditions for the two-time track-and-trip scorer means the race has to come under consideration.

Dan Skelton talks to media alongside Third Time Lucki, during a visit to Dan Skelton’s stables at Lodge Hill, Alcester
Dan Skelton talks to media alongside Third Time Lucki, during a visit to Dan Skelton’s stables at Lodge Hill, Alcester (Jacob King/PA)

“The reality is he might miss and go to Aintree,” said Skelton.

“But if the weather carried on like this, then he would have to be in. It would be ridiculous not to because we know he likes nice ground and it is not often you get the chance to go to the Festival and run on particularly nice ground which will suit a horse like him.

“This horse really suits the Old Course, a fast track and bang on two miles is perfect for him. If it stays dry he is an obvious horse for the Grand Annual.”

Potentially joining Third Time Lucki on the teamsheet for that two-mile contest is Unexpected Party who has shaped with potential without yet getting his head in-front over the larger obstacles.

He continued: “We’ve left him in the Graded races in case you get a four-runner Turners like last year and we could go and pick up some prize-money if that was appropriate. But the real race for him is the Grand Annual.

“There is a lot of people saying we’ve been really clever and plotting out a Festival handicap for him. I wish they were right but the truth is he slips between stalls on trip

“I’ve come to the conclusion you are better off being a confirmed stayer over two than a confirmed non-stayer over two and a half. A fast run race will suit him and we’re sharpening him up at home. We’re training him a little bit differently to try and get a little bit more out of him.

Meanwhile Langer Dan is something of a regular in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap and could go for his third crack at the race or the Coral Cup two days earlier.

“He will get entries in the Coral Cup and Martin Pipe,” added the four-time Festival-winning trainer.

“I just have no clue why he runs so moderately in the autumn. We’ve just got to accept that is how it is now. He would definitely have a chance.”

Skelton could also have two live handicap chances for big-spending owner Darren Yates in the form of Becher Chase winner Ashtown Lad and French import Punta Del Este.

Ashtown Lad ridden by jockey Harry Skelton on their way to winning the Boylesports Becher Chase at Aintree, is a possible for the Pertemps at the Cheltenham Festival
Ashtown Lad ridden by jockey Harry Skelton on their way to winning the Boylesports Becher Chase at Aintree, is a possible for the Pertemps at the Cheltenham Festival (Nigel French/PA)

The former secured qualification for the Pertemps Final when second at Warwick in January while Punta Del Este is set to make his UK bow at either Kelso or Haydock later this week.

“We’ll see how he (Ashtown Lad) gets on this weekend,” said Skelton.

“He’s qualified for the Pertemps, which is going to be a very different race this year as you have to finish in the first four places to qualify. It’s going to be a very different dynamic, but we’ll have a look a little closer to the time.

“Punta Del Este is in the Triumph, but the handicapper’s opinion of the French races is less than you would need for the Triumph. So depending on how he gets on at the weekend he could be one for the Fred Winter.”

Galia Des Liteaux gallops to taking Warwick triumph

/in /by

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.”

Warwick assignment looks ‘perfect’ for Galia Des Liteaux

/in /by

Galia Des Liteaux looks to have plenty going for her when she attempts to get back on track in the eventmasters.co.uk Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

The Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old made a blistering start to her chasing career when sauntering to a nine-length success in a mares’ Listed contest at Bangor which teed up a tilt at the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton.

The daughter of Saddler Maker failed to fire in the Boxing Day Grade One, with early mistakes ultimately putting Galia Des Liteaux on the back foot before Harry Skelton pulled her up before four out.

However, Skelton believes shadows created by the bright winter sun could have played a part in her jumping errors during that contest and reports he has no concerns about her jumping having been well schooled since.

He said: “I think this trip and track is perfect for her and all the rain is a positive for her as well – I don’t have any negatives.

“She didn’t get very far in the Feltham (Kauto Star), but that was really because she made a few mistakes early on and Harry thinks she might have pitched off at a few shadows which I think a couple of other horses had a problem with on the day as well.

“She’s done lots of jumping since and we’re not worried about that at all.”

Paul Nicholls has won this the past two years with smart staying chasers and Complete Unknown, who landed the Grade Three EBF Final at Sandown in the spring and made a taking debut over the larger obstacles at Ffos Las, could complete a hat-trick for the Ditcheat handler.

Complete Unknown, here ridden by jockey Lorcan Williams on their way to winning the European Breeders’ Fund Paddy Power ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown, made a taking fences debut at Ffos Las
Complete Unknown, here ridden by jockey Lorcan Williams on their way to winning the European Breeders’ Fund Paddy Power ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown, made a taking fences debut at Ffos Las (Steven Paston/PA)

The champion trainer told Betfair: “He won very nicely on his chasing debut at Ffos Las. He’s a point-to-point winner and he won the EBF final at Sandown last year on soft ground so the track and the ground won’t be a problem.

“I would like to think if he jumps well he will have a nice chance.”

Gordon Elliott brings over The Goffer as he looks to emulate Willie Mullins’ victory for Ireland with Black Hercules in this race in 2016.

The six-year-old beat a subsequent Grade One runner-up when opening his fencing account at Thurles in November and was not disgraced in a competitive heat at Fairyhouse last time out.

A small but classy quartet is rounded off by Stuart Edmunds’ Gentleman At Arms, who was second in the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last spring and will appreciate the return to three miles for just his second appearance over the larger obstacles.

“He goes there with every chance and if he jumps like he did at Leicester we think he should run well,” said Harriet Edmunds, assistant trainer to her father.

“We think the trip was too short for him at Leicester so now he’s back up to three miles he should run well. He has won on heavy before, but it might depend on how testing things get as he isn’t overly big.

“He ran well at Warwick in the Grade Two Leamington as a novice hurdler last season, so it would be nice for him to do the same.”