3 minute read
Jockey Harry Skelton is looking forward to the new chapter with their latest star The New Lion.
The Kayf Tara gelding made a winning debut in a bumper at Market Rasen back in April and has subsequently proved an absolute natural over hurdles. A successful hurdling bow at Chepstow prior to readily defying his penalty at Newbury set up a crack at Grade 1 company back at the Berkshire venue and it was there The New Lion really burst onto the scene.
Dan Skelton's six-year-old travelled strongly throughout the two-mile four-and-a-half furlong and with a slick jumping performance up the Newbury straight, he pulled four and three quarters lengths clear of Wendigo under Harry Skelton, who is looking forward to continuing the partnership following his recent sale to powerhouse owner JP McManus.
"We're delighted that we're going to keep him in the yard after Darren's (Yates) decision to sell him," said Skelton in his blog for Star Sports:
"We're very much looking forward to his future and hopefully he is lucky for JP.
"He did everything that we hoped he would do at Newbury. We could never have dreamed he would do it as impressively as he did, but myself, and Dan always believed in him and we always thought he had the makings of a Grade One horse, so it was great to realise that belief in the Challow.
"He'll head to Cheltenham now and he'll probably have entries in both the Supreme and the Turners, with stepping up to three miles for the Albert Bartlett less likely. We'll see what suits him best, but it looks like the two-mile five-furlong race (Turners Novices' Hurdle) is his most likely destination at this stage."
The New Lion is currently the 11/4 ante-post favourite for the Turners Novices' Hurdle with Paddy Power.