“HE’S A QUIRKY LITTLE CUSTOMER – HE HAS HIS OWN CLOCK AND TRAINS HIMSELF”
LANGER DAN came home as the first dual winner of the
Coral Cup, and the Skelton team immediately doubled up with Unexpected Party in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
The Colm Donlon-owned Langer Dan, by Ocovango who stands at Grace Skelton’s Alne Park Stud, won the race in 2023 before having surgery. He has been unplaced all season, bleeding from the nose last time out at Kempton.
“We gastroscoped him because he was running so badly and we found ulcers, so we treated him for that and it was a massive team effort to get him right, then we find ourselves here. He’s a remarkable little horse,” said the trainer. “He won’t train at our main yard because he’s a quirky little customer and just won’t join in.
“Amber Blythe runs our second yard and when we worked him on Saturday, I told her to find the slowest horse we’ve got and somehow beat him on the gallops. He only won by a head, which just shows you what he’s like. He’s a little character, but what a character.
“He’s got his own clock and trains himself. He just doesn’t play ball in the winter – he’s a nightmare. But I’ve never been prouder of a result than this,” added the trainer.
Jockey Harry Skelton added: “He just hadn’t been firing like we really wanted him to, but in the last month, we’ve managed to get him out on our grass gallops. That’s really brought out the improvement in him. We obviously left plenty to work on for the day – that’s what you do to train these horses for these big handicaps like that.
“He thrives when you ride him in among them all a bit more, and he loves it when you’re allowed to do that in a bigger field. He was getting knocked about up the top of the hill, but he travelled really well and for a lot longer than he did last year. He’s not very big but he’s magic.
“You dream of having winners here so to have two is brilliant,” said the jockey.