Ladbrokes’ Dan Skelton discusses his runners at Doncaster and Uttoxeter

Our ambassador Dan Skelton talks us through his runners at Doncaster and Uttoxeter on Saturday.

Bandsman has an each-way chance back on better ground in the 12.55 at Doncaster.

He ran ok the first time but then ran moderately second time – hopefully he can run here. He does need to spring back to form though.

Shantou Rock runs in the 1.30, where Sceau Royal should be very difficult to beat. Hopefully, we can have a good dual with Paul Nicholls’ horse Adrien Du Point for second.

You should never be frightened of one horse though and there is nothing between ours and Paul’s.

We will crack on and give it our best shot and he’s well at home. Slow ground counted against him last time.

Shannon Bridge (2.05) is a nice horse and won very well over three miles.

We dropped him back in trip and he did well under a penalty. He got beat by quite a good horse that day.

He’s a straightforward horse, he jumps well, stays well and I think he has an each-way shout.

It’s obviously a deep race but I do think he can be in the frame.

Long House Hall is my last runner at Doncaster (3.15). He has been waiting and waiting to run and hopefully we don’t get too much more rain.

The better the ground, the better his chance. He is fresh and looks fantastic.

We have schooled him plenty and he just has to get out there and do it now. He was second in the Coral Cup, he won a Summer Plate, and is a decent horse.

Hopefully, we can put the time he’s had off behind us and crack on.

At Uttoxeter, I run Zebi Boy in the 1.45. He ran very moderately first time so we have to see what he’s made of. No more than that really.

Blairs Cove (2.55) won a couple at Warwick but isn’t running as well at the moment as we would have hoped.

Horses will find their form at the track this time of year in some cases. He’s  in good form at home

Applesandpierres runs in the same race. I thought he’d run well at Wetherby but he ran moderately.

I’m not sure at all right now where we are with him. He does go well on the ground and he’s won at the track.

If you back him or Blairs Cove, you would be doing it out of hope rather than expectation.

Chalco Des Loges (4.00) jumped left the other day for some reason. He’s never done that before.

I think he did something at the first because Harry said he was disunited a couple of strides after the first but was absolutely fine after the race and has been fine since.

We are going left-handed now. I would’ve thought he’d be winning over fences but after that last run you couldn’t exactly be confident tomorrow.

Dan.