Dan Skelton: We are trying something different with Protektorat
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Ladbrokes ambassador Dan Skelton previews his runners on Saturday at Cheltenham, Doncaster and Hereford.
He won very well at Wetherby, and we’ve always wanted to take a step up in grade with the juveniles if they win one to see where we stand. He loves a bit of soft ground and he stays very well so the trip and track should be no problem. It is a stiff test for the juveniles, but I am very happy with him and I think he will go well.
He was unlucky to get nailed late on at the last meeting. We would just love to go one better. He is in great form. Funambule Sivola runs so that gives us a little bit of weight back from the top which is helpful. There are lots of positives and he would have to go well.
This race hasn’t necessarily been on his agenda but I’ve always thought that this year he would take on these bigger races. He was way too keen at Newbury but now that he has had a couple of runs and isn’t so fresh, he should go very well. Whether the track suits him or not, we will find out. I am happy with him.
We are trying something different here with top weight in a valuable handicap. It didn’t go to plan in the big one at Haydock. We had everything where we wanted it to be but he jumped the first ungainly and landed a bit heavy, and from my view I thought we were in trouble straight away. He has the benefit of a run under his belt. Obviously we are trying something different here, giving weight to a lot of horses who perhaps would expect to run with more weight on their back but he is in good form, and we are just trying something without big expectations to see where we stand.
This is a valuable race over three miles. He stayed very well over two-and-a-half at Lingfield the last day and just got nailed on the line which is frustrating. The winner went on to run well in a valuable handicap last week though so the form is pretty strong. He is a very honest horse and the trip shouldn’t be an issue. Let’s see where we stand against these better ones. I think he is a nice horse down the line.
She goes back over hurdles and she feels a lot more comfortable over hurdles at home. We did give her a try over fences at Exeter but it didn’t work out. She is in good form with a run under her belt. She was good in the Mares Novices’ Hurdle at the festival two seasons ago and I have to think that she can be competitive. She needs to put a lacklustre run behind her, but I think she can.
She found the ground way too deep at Newbury in a listed race so we are in calmer waters here. I am not expecting anything, we just want to see where we stand.
He ran no kind of race last week. He won the Coral Cup last year but he had a surgery afterwards and I just want to see some form back. The ground will be a lot better at Doncaster and I just want to see a nice run.
This is quite a valuable race over three miles over fences. He is in good form with a benefit of a run under his belt. He ran a nice race at Newbury the other day. He has 3llbs off as well under Fergus Gillard so that is a positive.
She jumps fences nice enough at home. She hasn’t actually won over hurdles but has loads of experience and we want to get her out over fences.
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