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Nom adds name to Skelton Cheltenham team

A Pai De Nom became the latest horse to book his ticket on Dan Skelton’s team sheet for the Cheltenham Festival after leaving his rivals toiling in the William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle.

Making what was his sixth start of the campaign, and first over an extended three miles, the progressive six-year-old made light work of the step up in trip to register a fourth success of the campaign.

Buried further back among rivals early doors the well-backed 11/8 favourite moved smartly into contention at the second last before drawing on with Below The Radar and eventual runner-up Alentejo.

Despite having his stamina to prove the gelded son of Passing Glance appeared to appreciate the extra yardage when drawing clear late on to defeat the raillying Alentejo by five lengths.

The winning trainer said: “Some horses improve because you run them and some horses improve because you don’t, but he loves racing and we have found ourselves in a nice position. If I run now I get an extra week to recover compared to if I go to Ascot next week over two and a half miles, and I feel he is a few pennies better going left handed as well.

“I thought it was a sensible race, and he hasn’t had a particularly hard race. It was a three mile race and they hadn’t gone hard from the start. He doesn’t mind getting his feet dirty about having a race. I think the race make up suited him a little, so you have to take that into consideration, but to be fair to the horse all he has done is improve.”

And following the race Skelton admitted that A Pai De Nom will now drop back in trip for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

Skelton added: “He ran really well in the Lanzarote and finished third, but he didn’t go up in the handicap. He needed to go up in the handicap to get in the Martin Pipe and that is where we are heading. A fast run race like that will suit him. We are still unexposed as the handicapper can’t catch up with us yet as I don’t know what he is capable of yet.”

Sober gallops into Supreme picture

Philip Hobbs appears to have a lively candidate for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in Sober Glory, who secured his third win over hurdles with an impressive front running display.

Despite being burdened with a double penalty following wins over course and distance, and on his hurdles debut at Chepstow, the gelded son of Mount Nelson, who Hobbs trains in partnership with Johnson White, had no issues in seeing off his seven rivals.

Having enjoyed himself out in front from the moment the tapes dropped in the William Hill Racing Epic Boosts Novices’ Hurdle it appeared on entering the home straight that the 1-3 favourite was going to have a fight on his hands as Kadastral loomed up at the second last.

However, once given a shake of the reins on the run down to the last by Harry Cobden the odds-on favourite soon quickly opened up again into a lead he would hold on all the way to the line.

And after sailing over the final flight in economic fashion the Brocade Racing-owned six-year-old galloped on relentlessly all the way to the line before claiming the extended two mile test by 27 lengths.

Hobbs said: “He doesn’t necessarily need that ground, but he did that very well, and jumped very well apart from the one down the back. I’m very happy.

“He (Harry Cobden) wasn’t worried about it (Kadastral), but he was very much getting a breather into him because he wanted to go fairly quick to start with and he just gave him a bit of an easy time around the bottom bend and into the straight.

“Of course it takes some doing under a double penalty, and they left the others a long way behind, so I’m very happy. We wanted to go to Exeter as there was more money there, and it was a Listed race, but at the end of the day this was a good opportunity.

“Nothing came up after that Sandown run, but it was his worst run by a mile. I think his form before that, and since then, has been much better, so I don’t know why we got beat on that occasion.”

Following the race Sober Glory was cut into 20/1 for the Supreme by te sponsors and Paddy Power, and that race will now come under consideration according to Hobbs.

He said: “The owners aren’t here today, but that is certainly the likely plan, however we need to discuss it with them. I’m sure he will go further, but he doesn’t need to go further, and his only entry at Cheltenham is in the Supreme. Until we need to we won’t go any further.

“We have got plenty of nice handicappers, but it is good to have one that can hopefully go to the top.”

Hughes journey proves worthwhile

Former jockey John Dawson was left on cloud nine after A Likeable Rogue supplied him with the biggest winner of his training career when ploughing through the mud to land Listed honours in the concluding bumper.

The Kingston Hill gelding, who made his debut in a Listed event at Cheltenham, added to his last time out Wetherby success with a ready victory under Brian Hughes in the William Hill Racing Bet Builder Beacons National Hunt Flat Race.

Taking matters up half-way down the home straight from long time leader, and eventual third Trojan Tale, the 12/1 chance galloped on relentlessly in the hands of three-time National Hunt champion jockey Brian Hughes before scoring by nine lengths.

Dawson said: “I’m over the moon and I’m quite emotional really. Hopefully he can go on to be a proper horse. I’ve only been training for a couple of months and I’m so proud of everyone. He has always shown something different, but he loves this ground. The wetter the better.

“Brian (Hughes) rang me yesterday and he said are we definitely going on that ground and I said as long as it is on we are there. If it was just raceable then it would be perfect as he would plough through it. I’m so proud of my team and to find a horse like this is great. We only have four or five in training. To stumble upon this lad is special.

“I must admit that it was the dream of Chris Barker, who is part of the family that own him, to go to Cheltenham with a horse and I said if I’m going to take anyone it would be this one.

“He ran such a promising race first time out in the Listed race there and then he followed it up at Wetherby. He is just going from strength to strength so hopefully we can pick up some nice prizes with him.”

Although A Likeable Rogue has already made one visit to Cheltenham this season, an outing at next month’s Festival for a tilt at the Weatherbys Champion Bumper remains up for discussion according to Dawson, who operates out of Mary Reveley’s yard in Saltburn.

He added: “This was our big day and this was always in my mind where I wanted to bring him if the ground was like this. This was the main thing so we will see about Cheltenham. I would be inclined to say we will look after him for next season.”

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