Sandown Park bet365 Jump Finale day reports, reaction and free video replays

Doyen the £5million man

As Harry Skelton delivered his 'Skelicopter' celebration crossing the winning line aboard Doyen Quest in the Grade 2 bet365 Oaksey Chase it was confirmed that trainer brother Dan Skelton surpassed the £5million prize-money mark for the season at Sandown on Saturday.

How apt that the incredible achievement was delivered in this fashion by a gutsy novice who did it the hard way on the front end against more seasoned pros.

First Teddy Blue and then 11/10 favourite Blow Yor Wad lined up to take a pop at the eight-year-old, but the Skelton charge fought them all off and ran away up the hill for a superb six-length success.

The £51,400 first prize saw Skelton sail past the £5million barrier and the whole Skelton team, complete with family, friends and fans, celebrated in the sun on a joyous afternoon for the yard in Esher.

Dan Skelton said: “It is absolutely amazing. To do it in front of our rowdy lot. It is brilliant and why not orchestrate it and get stuck in. It might never happen again.

“Days like this are just unbelievable. We work hard, and I’m not saying everyone else doesn’t because of course they do, but we have learnt to really appreciate the ups.

“We are all in this boat together and to do it together is brilliant. The owners have been awesome, and I know I keep banging on about the team, but how can you not enjoy all that.

“When you have a team like that, with those owners, you can afford to reach and come up with grand ambitions, and plans and hopes and dreams, and I’m never afraid to say them as I think we have got the team to really do it.

“I’m not afraid to champion them and if I think we can do it then why not try it.

“Harry got off him at Aintree the other day and said that is not really the way to ride him and you need to be more aggressive on him. What a ride, and we got the old Skelicopter out at the line as well.

“I thought as long as we jump the last he should see it out well and I was pretty relaxed up the run in. I tend not to get too het up during the races. It is afterwards when you come in that I let it all go a bit.

“The colours that horse ran in there of Norman Lake, he was one of my first owners, and there are a couple of my first owners here as well today. To have this family (Lake) colours the winner at the forty first track at Perth with Heltenham and to break this record is a weird feeling. There is something going on as that is not normal, but I’m a very proud man.”

Queen strikes for King Skelton

Skelton had earlier enjoyed the perfect start to the day he was crowned champion National Hunt trainer for the first time after Queen Maeve led home a yard one-two in the Challenging Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Sandown Park.

However, while Skelton delighted with the result it was not the way the market expected it to go with the 20/1 chance getting the better of her hat-trick seeking stablemate Made U Blush, who was sent off as joint 3/1 favourite for the extended one mile seven furlong contest.

Victory looked to be heading the way of Made U Blush after jumping the last, however she could not repel her stablemate, who forged her way to the front in the dying strides before scoring by half a length under newly crowned champion conditional jockey Tristan Durrell.

Skelton said: “It was a great run by both horses. I thought Made U Blush would win and I thought Queen Maeve would pick up a bit of valuable black type. I suppose Queen Maeve was absolutely thrown in with no weight against other four year olds.

“No doubt it was the weight that told, but she finished with a wet sail. It was an unbelievable step forward, and I didn’t expect it as the price told you that.

“I still think Made U Blush has improved her run on the last run and I think she will improve into next year. I’m very happy with the pair of them.

“Tristan gave her a great ride. I said just follow round and take your time and pick up more than you expect and that is the way it has played out.”

Cosmic win for Gordon

Chris Gordon ended the season in style after Cosmic Connection proved to be out of this world when shouldering top weight to glory in the bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle.

The progressive five-year-old made it three wins from four starts since joining Gordon earlier this year when adding to victories gained at Warwick, and most recently at Chepstow after powering to victory in the £100,000 contest.

One of two runners in the race for the Morestead handler alongside Kocktail Bleu, the gelded son of Getaway was not for passing under Sam Twiston-Davies who drove the 6/1 chance out to score by three and a quarter lengths.

Gordon said: “It is hard off top weight in these sort of conditions around here as it is hard for a jump horse in this weather. I must say Andrew Cooper has done a great job with the hurdles track.

“He came over quite late for an Irish point-to-point winner and quite often they fall in a big hole when they come to me as they have had a hard time trying to win their point-to-point, but he has thrived.

“I wanted to run him in three novice hurdles and get him off a mark of eighty five for next season, but that really hasn’t gone to plan!

“I thought he might be a little bit tired coming over from Ireland and that maybe we could take an opportunity with that, but my God he has thrived.

“Sam (Twiston-Davies) mentioned about going for the Persian War at Chepstow next season with him as he has won his novice hurdles late in the season and he will still be a novice then.

“I think that is it for now so I don’t think we will have a look at the Swinton Hurdle, but I’ll ride him for a couple of days and see how he is and if the ground is right we could have a look.”

Select forecast for Henderson

Jingko Blue ended his form on the perfect note when taking his form to new heights to lead home a one-two for trainer Nicky Henderson in the bet365 Select Hurdle.

Although forced to declare the mighty Jonbon a non-runner on account of the ground the Seven Barrows master found his way back to the Sandown Park winner’s enclosure thanks to victory number two of the campaign for the Great Pretender gelding.

After blitzing his rivals from the front in the BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival the Countrywide Park Homes Ltd-owned seven-year-old failed to back that effort upped to Grade One company in the Jet2 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

Having appeared to see out three miles on his last start the 5/6 favourite appeared to appreciate the being dropped back down to an extended two miles five furlongs in the Grade Two test in the hands of James Bowen.

And although given a stern test of his ability by Lucky Place in the closing stages the odds-on market leader had more than enough up his sleeve to repel his stable mate and claim a three length success.

Henderson said: “That is the end and it is a good way to finish it. Tony (Barney, owner) wanted to run and I was not keen to run to be fair, but I bowed to my better judgement. As long as he is alright in the morning it was a great decision.

“With the weights and the handicap marks that probably wasn’t far off where they were meant to finish to be honest.

“I was more happy about Lucky Place running on that ground than Jingko, but there we go. He has had a fantastic year, and that is why I was keen to protect him a little bit, but Tony was keen to run.

“The impression we got at Aintree was that he probably didn’t stay three miles so this was the perfect place to come back to. He has enjoyed himself.

“Over two and a half miles you would have to be looking at races like the Relkeel, which he ran in this season. It has probably edged him out of handicap company for the time being.”

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