Dan Skelton believes Mydaddypaddy can still be a serious player in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle despite surrendering his unbeaten record on his Grade One debut at Aintree.
The Walk In The Park gelding was sent off the 8/13 favourite to make it a perfect four from four in the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at the Merseyside track yesterday.
However, he could only finish second behind Idaho Sun, which resulted in him being pushed out from favourite for the Grade One curtain raiser at the Cheltenham Festival to as big as 14/1 with some firms.
Skelton said: “He ran a fine race in defeat. It is frustrating he got beat, but we didn’t come home yesterday dejected thinking ‘Oh my God, the dream is over’
“There was supposed to be nine hurdles, but there was only five. Jumping is one of our biggest assets with that horse we feel, but equally the winner might have been better with more hurdles in, however I’m saying we would have liked them to be in.
"With the hurdles out, it made it into a real test against an exceptional five-year-old, who has only been beaten once in his life, which was in the Champion Bumper. He is a good horse and sometimes you have to take your hat off.
“I don't rate him any less because of that. What happened yesterday could always happen with a four-year-old."
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And despite Mydaddypaddy losing his unbeaten record Skelton has warned punters not to write him off on the back of one reversal.
He added: "We will get him freshened up as he is only four-years-old and we will go again and go straight to the Supreme.
"There will be a lot of people knocking him and lengthening his price, but we will take advantage of the fact that the spotlight will be off us now.
“We will go do our preparation and I know we will turn up in great shape and be a player.
“Everyone nowadays thinks to win a good race you have to have a string of ones next to your name and that the only ones that can win those races are ones with a stack of ones next to their name.
“Look at Protektorat he won the Ryanair Chase off the back of a load of different results so it doesn’t bother me.”
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