Mydaddypaddy 5/1 for Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham after facile Haydock win

Sent off the 1/5 favourite, he was anchored at the rear of the field by Harry Skelton before being switched to the outside of Kosca D’oudairies to get a clear view of the leader Smoke Trail down the home straight.

He was clumsy at the second last but roared into the final flight and quickened right away with his rider motionless to score by seven lengths.

Winning trainer Dan Skelton told Racing TV: “I was really happy with that. You come here today and there’s a lot to lose and not a lot to gain to be honest with you. Maybe some professionals would be asking why are you running again?

“But my thought process with this horse is he’s by Walk In The Park and I don’t want to over-work him at home. So I want the track to bring him forward and give him a bit more experience, and we are using it this way.

“It means he doesn’t have to do too much at home now before the Formby (at Aintree) which is where we’d like to go next, but I was very happy with his jumping today. Four out Harry held tight and got into the bottom of the jump and he listened.

“Some horses can come out of your hands at that point, especially when you're going as well as he was. Then two out he was very clever and quick on his feet as he needed to be.

“It’s a privileged position to be in to have a horse with such ability. You're less worried about the galloping ability when you come to a day like this than you are the jumps. I wanted to see him think quickly on his feet and was very happy that he did."

'A rare horse with lots and lots of natural ability'

And Skelton couldn't hide his excitement over what the future might be with Mydaddypaddy.

“This is a rare horse with lots and lots of natural ability. Everyone knows how hard it is to come across them and hopefully he’s a lucky one who gets a nice smooth run and we’ll find out later in the year how good he really is when he comes up against some fancier opposition. But take nothing away from the two today - they’re good horses.

“It’s very exciting and we'll do everything we can to nurture him and make him into the best he can be and make his career the best it can be.

“The one insight I can give you this year compared to last year is I was always on the fence over whether he truly is a two-miler. He’s out of a real stayer in Debdebdeb, by Walk In The Park, who can get any trip and I always felt he could be a stayer.

“Last year he worked well but won his bumper through staying but Dermot (Hanafin), his owner and breeder, was absolutely adamant that we went down the two-mile route. I didn’t say anything at the time because I didn’t want to burst any bubbles but he knows at the time secretly in my heart I was wondering is this horse a two-and-a-half miler?

“But what he's done this year is he's got faster and I’m very happy to say he is a two miler. That’s almost given me clarity that wasn’t there in the summer so I’m very happy.”

And Aintree on Boxing Day is the likely next port of call.

“I do hope so and I see no reason not to as long as racing is on and everything is OK. I’d love to be there with him and beyond that I don’t really know. I do want to end up in the Supreme but where and how we do that I don’t know.

“He was very fresh saddling in the standard boxes today, that was all new to him as well, so he has all those bits and pieces to learn but then again so do all novices."

The sponsors cut the winner to 5/1 favouritism for the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham, Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners saying: “Mydaddypaddy is clearly a very exciting prospect for the Skeltons. Bigger tests lie ahead but you can’t help but be impressed with how he’s taken to hurdling.”

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