Dan Skelton: Soft ground should suit Alnadam in Handicap Chase
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Ladbrokes ambassador Dan Skelton will start 2022 with three runners at Cheltenham and he gave us the lowdown on their prospects on New Year’s Day.
We have three runners on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham, starting with Get a Tonic in a Listed Novices’ Hurdle. She gets seven pounds here for being a mare and I would have to give her a fair chance. She has won her last two races and looks progressive.
The track will be no issue and I am really looking forward to getting her out there at this level.
We run Alnadam in the big handicap chase and we have been waiting for soft ground which is what we’re going to get here. I had the December Gold Cup in mind initially, but it wasn’t soft enough.
He is in great form. He had a nice run at Haydock when the ground was too quick for him in a very hot race. This is a handicap and he is in good form.
We then have Spiritofthegames in a handicap hurdle over three miles. He is good around the track and I have got to keep running him here basically.
He just outruns himself at Cheltenham. He has run well at Chepstow before I suppose but his best form is here by some distance. We bring him here as much as we can.
He’s in good form and I don’t think hurdles or fences makes too much difference to him these days. Hopefully we have at least an each way chance with him.
