SKELTON HITS BACK IN TITLE RACE THRILLER
DAN SKELTON ramped up the pressure on trainers’ championship favourite Willie Mullins with a 285-1 treble at Ayr yesterday.
In the Irishman’s absence, the British handler (below) drew all but level with just a week of the 2023-24 competition to go.
Mullins went into yesterday around £30,000 ahead of Skelton, having banked £2.87million from 19 winners and 64 placed horses on his travels.
But the nearest challenger struck back with Catch Him Derry (5-6f), 25-1 surprise package Punta Del Este and 5-1 chance Presenting Nelly.
The shortest-priced of the trio filled backers with confidence throughout the Get Home Safe With Thistle Cabs Handicap Hurdle – and did not disappoint with his finishing effort.
Paul Nicholls, only one short of Martin Pipe’s British record of 15 titles, began yesterday £118,000 adrift of Mullins but took Ayr’s most valuable contest with Outlaw Peter.
The 7-2 jointfavourite held on in the Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase to bag £25,000 for Ditcheat, represented by ten runners on today’s Scottish National card.
And the gritty length winner might be set for a quick reappearance at Sandown next Saturday.
“There’s quite a valuable novice handicap chase, we could just end the season there,” said Nicholls. “I think he’s a Paddy Power Gold Cup horse.”
Stay Away Fay carries top weight of 12 stone in the Coral Scottish National, up against stablemate Broken Halo, six from Mullins’ stable, and Ballygrifincottage, trained by Skelton.
“If you ignore Cheltenham, he’d probably be favourite” Nicholls added. “I don’t think he ran his race for whatever reason, he looks better now than he did then.”