Dan Skelton Stable Tour 2026/27 - Key quotes from the Champion Trainer

Bossman Jack is a very good horse and obviously won a Grade 1 over hurdles at Aintree at the backend of last year. He didn’t start hurdling until November so was under no pressure early season and obviously came good at the end of season. He is obviously very smart, and we will go chasing. We’ll start him over two and a half miles and three miles wouldn’t be a problem but I wouldn’t be rushing to get there.

Grey Dawning had a fantastic year and won the Betfair at Haydock and finished the season off winning the Melling Chase at Aintree dropped back in trip with the cheekpieces on. We have still to decide what we are doing for the Betfair - I think he is very effective first time up and he likes that track and, hopefully, it will take a very good one to beat him. He is in very good form, and we are aiming for it and got it right last year. Hopefully, lightning can strike twice.

Kabral Du Mathan goes novice chasing. He was a good hurdler from last year and didn’t quite see out the trip in the Stayers’ Hurdle but was very good in the Relkeel over Christmas. He will go over two miles over fences, and I hope he would be an Arkle type of horse. I trust him as a two-miler over fences and obviously over hurdles he was a two and a half miler, but I think we can drop him back over fences.

L’Eau Du Sud had a good year and won the Shloer and we are heading back there. He is very good to train for first time out and then it just has been that his form has tailed off a little bit. We are going to try him a little differently and see if that gives us more longevity for his season.

Mydaddypaddy is a very good horse and was only turned five when he ran in the Supreme last year. I think there’s a lot more to come from him as he gets older and stronger. He is a very talented horse, and we are going to send him down the Champion Hurdle route and see how far he takes us. Where we start, we don’t just know yet, but he will not be running on quick ground by any stretch of the imagination. We will just wait for plenty of rain.

Pic D’Orhy is obviously new to us, and we are going to start off in a similar route to last year. He is in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby, and he doesn’t carry a penalty in the race this year and hope that is sufficient for him. He is an old boy now but still shows plenty of enthusiasm and I am delighted to have him on the team. Obviously, I hope we can dance a few more dances with him.

Protektorat is a legend and absolutely brilliant and the first horse we have trained to go through £1 million barrier. He obviously won at Windsor and Kelso last year. We are aiming at Windsor again this year and we will keep an eye on everything in between but what a horse he has been for us. We are very proud of him and he’s an old boy now but he flies around the place, and we are very proud of him.

The New Lion had a good year though without quite landing the Grade 1 which we were hoping for. He finished third in the Champion Hurdle and runner-up at Aintree and won the International at Cheltenham. We will stay hurdling with him, but we would look to stepping up in trip.

He won a bumper at Doncaster and then the ground wasn’t really slow enough for him to show his best in a valuable bumper at Newbury. He is a smart horse, and he is going novice hurdling now. The winter ground when it is soft is certainly going to play more to his strengths and we will start at two miles but no doubt, he’ll get two and a half. He could be another Bossman Jack type, but it is impossible to call him a Grade 1 horse at this point in life. He could be one to starts a bit later in the season and be better in the Springtime. Let’s not be saying he is a Grade 1 horse, but I’m saying he could have a season like Bossman.

Forthfactor is obviously a good horse and won a Graded bumper at the backend of last at Aintree. There is nothing you can’t like about him going hurdling, he is pacey and I think he will be a very effective two-mile hurdler. He is pretty responsive on any type of ground, but we will just keep away from very bad ground, and he is definitely staying at two miles.

Mets Ta Ceinture obviously had a great year last year and only had one run for us but she was second in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. She is a very speedy mare, and two miles is her trip. She is very genuine and a very straightforward mare. We are waiting for some cut in the ground and then we will get started with her somewhere. We obviously have springtime aspirations for her in big races but we will not be going to the well too soon and will not be going on bad ground.

Nan’s Choice won a Grade 2 bumper up at Aintree and she is the perfect mare to go novice hurdling with. She is one I feel will definitely get two and a half, but we will start her off at two miles with a look to go up in trip. That Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival around two miles and one on the New Course looks perfect for her. We would be hoping she can stay in that Grade.

Presley looks a really smart horse to go novice hurdling with and I hope he is going to be an even smarter horse when we go novice chasing. It wouldn’t surprise me if we went in some nice races this year, but I just think he is going to be a better chaser and I really, really like him.

Push The Limit is new to us and came off the Flat with a big rating. He will be ready to run in about three weeks’ time. He is a lovely horse and I love his attitude. He loves to jump and, hopefully, we can get through a maiden hurdle and go from there.

Turbocharged is a good horse and won a nice bumper up at Haydock. I think he is a strong travelling type of horse. I think that hurdles will suit him, but fences will suit him more. I think he will be a real nice horse for this year.

He won’t be back in until Christmas time and then I will aim him at some of the better type of handicap hurdles in the springtime. He is obviously very effective around Cheltenham, and we would be thinking of the County Hurdle, but he obviously needs to be in top shape.

Le Beau Madrik will start in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow on October 9. He did very well last year, and I think he is an improving horse and at his age he should be getting better and better. I think he is a nice horse for the season to come, and I think he will stay over hurdles.

He was a high-class juvenile hurdler who finished runner-up in the 4-Y-O Anniversary Hurdle at Aintree. He ran third at Windsor last season and we were aiming him at the County Hurdle, but he sustained an injury. He won’t be back until Christmas so we will keep him hurdling this season.

Maestro Conti is a very good horse and finished second in the Triumph Hurdle and won a Grade 2 before then. He is staying over hurdles this year. I don’t know where we are going to start and I don’t know where we are going to end up, but he is clearly a very good horse and as he steps up in age he will only get stronger and better. I think he is very, very smart.

Soldier Reeves had a great year going novice hurdling last year and just improved and improved. He finished fourth at Cheltenham in the Turners and then second in the Mersey Novices’ at Aintree. I think there is massive unfinished business for him over hurdles. Hopefully, we can step him up to three miles around Christmas and beyond.

Supreme Malinas has won a listed race each of the two years she has been with us, and she can step forward again. We will step her up to three miles and I think that will suit her. I really like everything about her, and she is just a real hardy mare that loves soft ground.

Carlenrig is definitely a three miler, and he won a Grade 2 last year and was a three-mile novice hurdler. He suffered a small injury when he fell at Doncaster, but he is absolutely fine now. He wants plenty of cut in the ground and won’t run over fences until it rains plenty.

Dalston Lad won a three-mile Grade 2 hurdle as a novice, and I think he is a pure three-miler. We will start him around two miles six in a novice chase once we get plenty of rain. I would hope he would be a Graded novice chaser as well. He is a nice straightforward type of horse.

Let It Rain had a mixed year. We thought she would go and hit the ground running but it didn’t quite work out probably due to the heavy ground in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury. She is going to go over fences now. We will see if we can get a run into before she goes for the Listed Mares’ Novices’ Chase at Bangor in November.

Sinnatra had lots of runs last year as a novice, but we needed to get some experience into him, and he finished with probably his best run of the year when he was second in the Grade 1 Hurdle at Aintree. He goes novice chasing this year and there is a lot to come.

He had a good year last year as a novice hurdler, but he should only be better as a chaser this time. He gave No Drama This End something to think about a Perth for a moment and he has some good novice hurdle form but can only be better as a chaser.

It feels like there is unfinished business with Be Aware as he is not the easiest to mentally get right. He can sometimes blow his race beforehand, but I hope that as he is getting older, he can be more malleable and, hopefully, have a big year this year.

Blueking D’Oroux is obviously a new horse to us, and he has Grade 1 form and was second in a Grade 1 Chase at Aintree. He is going to go to Newton Abbot on October 17 and then we will be looking at races like Paddy Power and a race like the 1965 Chase at Ascot, Peterborough Chase and maybe he steps up to three miles and maybe he can get that trip. That wasn’t his cup of tea last year but maybe he’s a year older and year stronger. We are really looking forward to having him on the team.

Chuggy took well to chasing last year and won three. He wants an intermediate trip and not too bad ground conditions. He looks progressive to be honest with you and at his age he should be getting better all the time.

Had a great year and he is the horse who took up past the £5 million prize-money barrier. He is a going to be hard to place this year as he has all the Class 1 penalties, but two and a half miles is his trip and, hopefully, there is another big day in him.

He is a new horse to us, and I will, hopefully, get him out in the next two or three weeks. He is a horse that obviously needs to regain some confidence as his performances have not been up to what they were in the past. It is a bit of a watching brief with him but at home he looks like he retains a load of ability. I am very happy with how he looks.

He had a productive year and missed going hurdling as he is such a big strong horse I didn’t want hurdles to get in the way. He went chasing and did well. He can only improve and soft ground and two miles look his cup of tea.

Mirabad had a great end of season and won a Grade 1 at Aintree and was unlucky to be brought down at Sandown on the last day of the season. He is quite effective on decent ground, and we will aim for the Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup and see where we can take him from there. Whether we can step up into open Grade 1 company who knows but we will have a look.

Mr Hope Street got his season together right at the end in the Freebooter at Aintree. He had a hiccup mid-season when he just got a little tendon strain in a bag leg to but he showed great tenacity to get back and then win at Aintree. Those three-mile races are right up his street and we will definitely be having an entry in the Coral Gold Cup, but we will just play it by ear as to where we start if that is appropriate.

Panic Attack had an unbelievable season and what a mare she is, it is quite unique to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup. It hasn’t been done for some time, and she is a quite brilliant mare, and I am very proud of her. She will start at Carlisle in November, and we will look at the Coral Gold Cup again and she has all those mares’ races in front of her as well.