Skelton ran through all of his stars for the 2023/24 season with AtTheRaces
Get updates on Protektorat, My Drogo, Nube Negra many more
All quotes taken from AtTheRaces
Horse racing trainer Dan Skelton stands with racehorse 'Nube Negra' as he speaks to members of the media at his yard near Alcester. (Getty)
Dan Skelton Stable Tour 23/24
🌟 Stable Stars 🌟
My Drogo
Nube Negra
Protektorat
West Balboa
➡️ Novice Hurdlers
Asta La Pasta
Cherie D'am
Coco Mademoiselle
Rock House
Williethebuilder
➡️ Older Hurdlers
Faivoir
Kateira
Langer Dan
Molly Ollys Wishes
➡️ Novice Chasers
Etalon
Grey Dawning
Hitching Jacking
Nurse Susan
Pembroke
Pikar
➡️ Older Chasers
Ashtown Lad
Ballygriffincottage
Calico
Frere D'Armes
Galia Des Liteaux
Heltenham
Jet Plane
Le Milos
Midnight River
Sail Away
Unexpected Party
Ahead of the new National Hunt season, top trainer Dan Skelton talks through his team for 2023/24 with AtTheRaces.
Here's the full Dan Skelton stable tour. All quotes taken from AtTheRaces.
Dan Skelton Stable Tour 2023/24
🌟 Stable Stars 🌟
My Drogo
I am really happy with him, and he could run in the Old Roan at Aintree. It’s great to have him back but we will see how he gets on first time back and then make a proper plan.
Nube Negra
He won the Shloer the last two years and that is very much the plan to get him ready for that. He is a great horse first time out, and is best when fresh.
Protektorat
He obviously won last year’s Betfair Chase and that is where we are going to start this season. I am very happy with him, and I hope to have him in the same form as last year and if he is, he will be one of the big contenders. We can make entries for all those races, but the Betfair is number one target.
West Balboa
She is a progressive mare and only had three runs last year but won two valuable handicap hurdles. I think she could take the step forward and she will probably start in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby, and we will go from there.
Harry Skelton riding Protektorat clear the last to win The SSS Super Alloys Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree Racecourse. (Getty)
➡️ Novice Hurdlers
Asta La Pasta
He was very good at Uttoxeter the other day. We thought he would take a bit of beating and he did it very nicely but still showed a few signs of greenness. He will go to Wetherby on November 3rd for a novices’ hurdle, and we will make a plan there afterwards. We would like to think he could end up in some of the better races, but we are not going to shove him into Grade races straightaway. We will get some experience under his belt as he still has a lot to learn.
Cherie D'am
I think she has the potential to take high rank amongst the mares’ novices’ hurdlers and she love slower ground. We will let her tell us how high we aim over hurdles.
Coco Mademoiselle
She is another really nice mare who won well in a bumper at Wetherby for us. I would imagine she’s a two and a half mile to three miles horse and very much a chaser. Again, we will let her tell us how high we aim.
Rock House
I think he is a smart horse and Chepstow on Friday will tell us if he is a smart horse. Hopefully, he can win decent novices’ hurdles before he goes chasing.
Williethebuilder
He bolted up on his only start for us at Uttoxeter and I want to get a run into him because I wanted the experience before going for a Grade 2 at Cheltenham Racecourse in a fortnight’s time.
➡️ Older Hurdlers
Faivoir
He obviously won the County Hurdle for us last year and he runs on Sunday in the Welsh Champion Hurdle. You would like to think a horse like him will find his races and hopefully win another big one in his lifetime. It’s hard with these handicappers to know when they are going to win as the handicapper often has his say. If everything fell right for him on a particular day we all know he can win one of those big ones. He will have entries in the Greatwood, the Betfair Exchange, Morebattle etc and, hopefully, he can go win one of them. If he is happy and healthy then he will have another go in the County.
Kateira
She is a very good mare, and she was second on her final start of the year in a Grade 1. That shows you a little of what she is capable of and all roads lead to the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. She will probably start at Wetherby or Aintree at the start of November.
Langer Dan
He actually had a bit of surgery after he won the Coral Cup last year. We will have him ready to run probably at the end of November. He is not an easy horse to get going in the autumn and will not play ball, but he comes alive in the spring. He has been a fabulous horse so far and, hopefully, he can continue to do well but we don’t have any early season plans for him.
Molly Ollys Wishes
She is obviously down into a handicap and her mark has fallen from last year. She is off a very acceptable mark and what she does tomorrow will tell us what we do.
Harry Skelton riding Langer Dan celebrates victory in the Coral Cup Hurdle during day two of the Cheltenham Festival 2023. (Getty)
➡️ Novice Chasers
Etalon
He is a big strong horse, and he gets a start over the bigger obstacles. He will be entered at Uttoxeter next weekend and hopefully he is a nice chaser.
Grey Dawning
He is a proper old chasing type, but he did win a Graded hurdle at Warwick. He fell at Aintree when I thought he might win but that is in the past now. He will go chasing and will start at Wetherby on November 3rd. Hopefully, he can become a Feltham type and he loves soft ground. If the Feltham was not soft, then we would wait for Warwick in January.
Hitching Jacking
I thought this was a nice hurdler last year who was just kicking the ball against the wall until he went chasing. He will make his debut over fences at Uttoxeter next Friday.
Nurse Susan
Nurse Susan is back, and she ran very well the season before last in mares’ novices’ hurdles. She was beaten by Mares' Hurdle runner-up Love Envoi twice, but I think there was many better than her than Love Envoi that year. She now goes chasing and she will start at Bangor on November 15th.
Pembroke
He ran really well at Uttoxeter the other day on his chasing debut. He is still a raw horse and obviously went off favourite for the County Hurdle last year. That was always on ability, and he is loaded with ability, and it will come together for this horse.
Pikar
He really never hit the heights as hurdler. He is going to go chasing and will be seen out in three or four weeks. He has always promised to be a chaser so let’s hope that’s the case.
Harry Skelton riding Le Milos (orange cap) clear the last to win The Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury. (Getty)
➡️ Older Chasers
Ashtown Lad
He won the Becher last year and that is where we are aiming again this year. He will go to Bangor on November 15th before he goes for the Becher Chase, but Aintree is the big aim. After that we will make a plan about what we do, but before Christmas that’s his big target.
Ballygriffincottage
He started last season when he won as he wanted at Haydock and then something happened to his wind, I don’t know what, but I’ve never had a horse deteriorate so rapidly. He has had a wind operation over the summer and he looks fantastic and I don’t hear any of those problems, but we have to get back to the track and prove that is not an issue. The track will be the true test but, everything being equal we have always thought of him as a Welsh National sort of horse.
Calico
He had a great year last year and was going to be second to Jonbon in a Grade 1 at Aintree when falling. He will start this year in the Haldon Gold Cup.
Frere D'Armes
He was a good horse last year when winning two and put up a big effort at Ascot after he had a bit of time off. He just got a cut at Newbury, and we lost a bit of the season, but he put up a big effort at Ascot then underperformed at Ayr when we thought he would win. He is a good horse fresh, and he will go to Ascot on November 4th.
Galia Des Liteaux
She loves a bit of soft ground, and she bolted up in a Grade 2 at Warwick and won two novices’ chases last year. She does have the option of going against the boys and I will give her entries in suitable race, but she will start in a mares’ event at Market Rasen on November 16th.
Heltenham
He won three on the bounce last year and I shouldn’t have run him at Cheltenham as the ground was too quick. He needs a bit of slow ground whilst he is still young and still a bit raw. I could see him being a proper three-mile chaser in time but for this year we will start at two and a half and might stay at two and half. He will run at the Coral Gold Cup meeting at Newbury and will have entries on the Friday and the Saturday.
Jet Plane
He won well at Newton Abbot the other day and it took us a little by surprise that he would win but I think that’s because he is an easier horse to train this year than ever before. He will have an entry in the Badger Beer and whether that’s flying too high or not who knows. However, he’s decent and we can always come back down if we have too.
Le Milos
Le Milos had a bit of surgery after the National, but he had a great year last year when winning the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. I don’t think he is finished improving yet and I don’t know where we will start but it will be around Christmas time.
Midnight River
Midnight River will run in either the Old Roan at Aintree or at Wetherby the week after and then will aim for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury
Sail Away
He finished season very well win a valuable novices’ handicap chase at Ayr. He will have an entry in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby but if some fancy rated rivals turned up for that then we could wait and run him first time out in the Sefton over the National fences.
Unexpected Party
He runs at Chepstow on Saturday in a listed novice chase, and I have had this race in mind since his last run last year. He will love the ground and has experience over fences. He has to take on one of Paul’s who is rated slightly higher over hurdles, but I think he will take a bit of beating.
