Skelton’s yard secures a hat-trick

THE weather may have been gloomy but Dan and Harry Skelton lit up the track at Warwick’s Eventmasters Christmas at the Races meeting, landing a treble topped by the impressive Cherie d’Am in the day’s feature race, reports David Hucker.

Cherie d’Am led the field a merry dance in the Listed eventmasters.co.uk Lady Godiva Mares’ Novices’ Chase, with only course winner Telepathique able to keep tabs on her and, despite a mistake at the penultimate fence, she proved the stronger on the run to the line.

Odds-on favourite You Wear It Well, who made an early mistake, never got into contention, just holding on to third place from Ilovethenightlife.

Skycutter, runner-up to Rambo T on his last visit to the course, also made all the running to kick off the Skelton treble in the £10,000 M-TEC Engineering Solutions Novices’ Handicap Chase. The Good Doctor tried to make a race of it, but Skycutter, carrying 12-2, always had his measure from the last fence. Disappointment of the race was Olly Murphy’s Damarta, who was always struggling and finished a well-beaten fourth.

Mr Hope Street continued his winning ways in the Out The Daw Handicap Hurdle, seeing off Don’t Tell Su from the penultimate flight to complete the Skelton haul and bring up Harry’s 100th winner of the season.

He had travelled well in behind the leaders and looks a progressive horse who could well win again in the not too distant future.

There was a turn-up in the opening Larkshill Engineering Juvenile Maiden Hurdle when 50/1 shot Our Papa Smurf, who was always in the first two, proved too strong for Character Testing on the run-in. The runner-up came to challenge at the penultimate flight, looking likely to score his first win, but My Papa Smurf wouldn’t be denied, winning by a head.

The Heat Your Home With Alpha Maiden Hurdle was divided and the first division went to 6/5 joint favourite I’m A Lumberjack, who had too much speed after the last flight for the other market leader As The Fella Says. One to note from the race is Libre De Choeur, who led until the fourth last flight, but kept on when passed, finishing third.

In the second division, odds-on favourite Bear Market was pulled up in the home straight with the race going to Reallyntruthfully, another to always be up with the pace, who won by four lengths from Aviation.

Longest race of the afternoon was the Francesca Garrad Handicap Chase over three miles and it went to New Order, who joined long-time leader Roger Rarebit turning for home and came right away to win comfortably for Over Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon and jockey David Bass.

As darkness fell, it was newcomer Legal Weapon who took the closing Wrights Of Campden Open National Hunt Flat Race by a head from Tormund Giantsbane, who was carrying 7lbs more. Legal Weapon had cut out the running with Surrey Lord and had enough in hand to score narrowly, denying the Skeltons a fourth winner on the afternoon.

Next action at Warwick is on New Year’s Eve.