Dan Skelton: Faivoir has real each-way chance at Newbury
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Leading trainer Dan Skelton has a busy weekend with 14 runners at Newbury, Uttoxeter, local course Warwick and Exeter.
Ahead of next month’s Cheltenham Festival, the Ladbrokes ambassador gave us the lowdown on their prospects of being first past the winning post on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday
He would have a chance as he is down to a mark now where he is being competitive at least. He doesn’t look like he is just going to go and win off this mark but hopefully he can find a race soon. Perhaps you would expect a placed effort from him, but he doesn’t owe us anything as he has been a great horse over the years.
Faivoir runs in the Betfair Hurdle and he will handle the ground. I think he’s got a real each-way chance in this. You can’t just go in and say “yea we are going to win”, but I do think he is a player.
He knows how to run in big handicaps, he has lots of experience, and as I said the ground isn’t an issue. He is my best chance of the day.
I think he will improve for the run a bit. We haven’t been hard on him over the winter and this race emerged on decent ground but because of this unusually dry weather we are having, I just feel like he could do with a couple more gallops under his belt. He should go well regardless because things are starting to come right for him all round.
This is his trip. We could have done with more rain but we have got to get out there and get some runs into him.
This is a pretty competitive race, but she holds her own in these races. She was just too fresh and too free at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago but this is a race we’d hope to be up there in.
Jonbon headlines this race. We aren’t ridiculous enough to come here and think we are going to roll Jonbon over. It’s a novice chase with only four runners and Calico handles the trip and ground really well. In addition, he won at the track before so we thought we would give it a go
He returns to the track where he won his novice hurdle last year. He would have to have a chance. He is going to be next year’s chaser.
Dime Store Cowgirl won last time over a shorter trip but I think this trip is better for her. This is Yeoman Warder’s first run in a handicap. He hasn’t looked good enough in novice hurdles and I think his opening mark is strong enough. He should obviously be able to run better in a handicap though.
Alright Dai was fourth on his first start and I think he will run nicely again. Mahler Moon finished fifth on his first start but stayed on all the way to the line. We can ride him a bit handier in this race and I think he will keep galloping all the way to the line here. He is definitely a jumper for the future. It would be nice to get a bit of experience under both of these horses’ belts.
Sunday
The ground could be softer for him but there is such a lack of races, and this unusually dry weather leaves us looking for the best possible ground. We need to get some experience into him but the trip will be much more to his liking and the track is suitable.
Ittack Blue was second first time up in November and we are in no rush with this horse. He has only just turned five and I would like to think he will run very well in this. I have both eyes on the future for this horse as he is maturing all the time so I think he will run well.
A big strong, staying horse for the future who will run nicely. He doesn’t have to win a bumper for me to like him as a novice hurdler next year but it would be a bonus!
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