Four winners bolsters top trainer bid

ALCESTER-based Dan Skelton saddled four runners at Warwick on Monday evening as he looked to keep reigning champion Willie Mullins at bay in the race to be this year's top trainer, reports David Hucker.

Skelton had started Friday's two-day Ayr meeting with a lead of £122,000 and he struck with three winners to add a further £46,000 to his seasonal haul. It all changed on Saturday, however, as, with Captain Cody leading home a 1-2 for Mullins in the feature Coral Scottish Grand National and Dysart Dolomite taking the final race, the gap was down to less than £1,500 with two weeks of the season to go.

Skelton ran Lady Jago in the opening eventmasters.co.uk Mares' Handicap Chase (Queen Boudicca Mares Chase Series Qualifier) in preference to a later hurdle and it proved the right call.

Lady Jago, who went off the odds-on favourite, was held up early on, leading approaching the final fence to win in a canter and add to Skelton's prize money total.

Gwennie May Jem, who finished runner-up in his first chase at Leicester before making mistakes and fading to finish fourth at Southwell, was the Skelton representative in the following Racing TV Novices' Handicap Chase over two miles. Backed from 11/4 to 13/8, he was given a patient ride, making progress to challenge in the home straight, but couldn't peg back Iskar d'Airy over the final fence.

Audacious Annie was a smooth winner of the eventmasters.co.uk Mares' & National Hunt Novices' Hurdle, taking over from long-time leader I've Madeupmymind jumping the final flight and drawing clear to follow up her Wetherby win and give jockey Gavin Sheehan his 98th winner of the season.

Despite a mistake at the first flight, Can't Beat History was another easy winner in the longest race of the evening, the eventmasters.co.uk 40th Anniversary Handicap Hurdle over three miles and one furlong. The Irish-trained Roxboro River, owned by the sponsors, made a race of it up the home straight, but was no match for the winner who scored by eight lengths.

With ten runners, the Follow Headinfrontbetting On Instagram Now Handicap Hurdle had the biggest field of the evening and five of them came to the final flight together. All were in with a chance of winning, but it was Highway One O Five who found the better turn of foot on the run-in to beat Granny Hawkins by half a length, with the Skelton-trained Mokoro a short head away in third.

There were plenty in with a chance in the closing stages of the eventmasters.co.uk Handicap Hurdle and it was Tarahumara who was produced late by Jack Tudor to beat Lumi Plugin by a neck, with Skelton's Queens Wish fading out of contention to finish seventh