It’s not long until the new jump season kicks off and already, I’m getting excited – I just know it will be upon us before we realise.
Last season conjured up a number of surprises, though we definitely had some great racing action. As always, the Cheltenham Festival didn’t disappoint (at least not for me – haha) and I also had my second consecutive winner in the Grand National.
But, that aside, it was an intriguing race for the Trainer’s Championship. Right at the last Dan Skelton was pipped by Willie Mullins who retained his title after an impressive week at Cheltenham that considerably boosted his prize winnings in the run-up to the end of the season.
It makes next season even more interesting for me and whether he can go one better next time around.
What Could Be The Difference-Maker For The Skelton Team?
Along with his brother Harry, who is Dan’s favoured jockey, the Skelton duo have formed quite an impressive team over the last few years, with some notable horses really coming into their own.
“Me and Dan are lucky we’ve got a good team behind us”@harryskelton89 reacts to landing a 1,004/1 five-timer at @WorcesterRaces and reacts to the impressive performance of Ice In The Veins a little earlier on… pic.twitter.com/5iLaKHYvMy
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 13, 2025
Skelton the younger has also improved considerably in the saddle, showing that he can ride front-runners and strong travellers exceptionally well, while he has demonstrated he is certainly suited to aggressive two-milers. I’ve also been impressed by his improved judgement of a race’s pace in tactical races especially at courses like Aintree and Newbury.
Where the Skelton’s might have better luck next season is being more strategic and selective when it comes to targeting the right races and pre-race preparation. I think they could particularly capitalise on having fewer runners, but a better strike rate – certainly more Saturday and big race winners.
At Cheltenham, they’ve almost made the Arkle Country Hurdle their own over the years, while we could also see a strong contender emerge in the Champion Chase.
Horses To Watch In The Skelton Stable
Perhaps the most notable up-and-coming horse the team has is Grey Dawning who showed great promise as a novice chaser and will likely make the step up to Grade 1 races next season.
I think it is fair to say that the duo doesn’t yet have a premium Grade 1 runner in the mould of a Constitution Hill or Galopin Des Champs, though Grey Dawning could emerge and could well target the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.
For me, Protektorat is an interesting one in terms of a current Grade 1 contender with pedigree and he placed in the 2023 Gold Cup – he’s getting old though at 10 and I’m not sure if he can make the step up into the elite.
Realistically, you could say that Langer Dan is probably the only consistent Grade 1 runner they have and aged nine is coming into its prime. It needs to deliver in big races and could maybe cause an upset or two if properly put through its paces.