Two more winners from Skelton interview @ 7/1 & 3/1

The 153 rated and Grade 1 winning hurdler Potters Charm was a workmanlike winner on his chasing debut at Worcester on Monday. The Valirann gelding jumped adequately without being spectacular before having to be pushed out to beat Jupiter Des Mottes by a length with the pair nearly fifty lengths clear of the third. The runner-up, who was having his first run for Dan Skelton, was rated twenty pounds inferior to the winner over timber and this was a very pleasing start to his fencing career. Willy Twiston-Davies indicated that the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown in February will be the winner's principal target this winter but it remains to be seen whether he can develop into a Grade 1 chaser on this evidence. Significantly, Harry Skelton never used his whip once on the run-in and the former Nicky Richards trained inmate looks capable of winning a good staying chase one day. Would could envisage him tackling those big three miles plus handicap chases one day.

The Dan Skelton interview in One Jump Ahead produced another couple of winners during the last 24 hours with Divine Diva (7/1) making an impressive start to her hurdles campaign when readily brushing aside the useful Princess Day in the mares' novice hurdle at Chepstow on Sunday. Given time to mature, the former pointer travelled and jumped beautifully before being pushed clear on the run-in to score by nearly four lengths. Stablemate Kykorock (3/1) won three of his four races over fences last term and the six year old still looked ahead of the assessor when sauntering to a two lengths victory in the two miles handicap chase at Worcester on Monday off a mark of 117. Given a patient ride by Harry Skelton, he was produced after the last and only had to be nudged out to score readily from Authoceltic. He looks ready for a rise in grade and is most progressive.

It is early in the season to be thinking in terms of perspective handicappers for the Cheltenham Festival but Atomic City is one to note with the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle in mind following his victory at Cork on Sunday. Owned by Sean Mulryan and ridden by his newly appointed first jockey Mark Walsh, the Joseph O'Brien trained three year old raced keenly early on before making stealthy headway approaching the hometurn. Leading on the run-in, he barely came off the bridle to score by half a length, a margin which grossly flattered the runner-up. Rated 88 on the Flat, the Ghaiyyath gelding hails from the same connections of the 2024 winner Lark In The Mornin. He may be cut from similar cloth. 

We now have less than a 100 copies of One Jump Ahead in stock - if you haven't ordered, plus the Updates, please head to the Publications section of the site.