The second race on the card here on Friday felt like a painful summary of the entire 2023-24 campaign from British jump racing’s point of view. Five declared runners, four from Irish stables and the only home-trained entry was the outsider of the field.
But if Path D’Ouroux’s ultimately hard-fought success was the 10th for Gavin Cromwell’s County Meath yard here in little more than a year, there was considerably more promise from a British perspective as Dan Skelton’s Valgrand turned the feature event, the Grade Two Sky Bet Novice Hurdle, into a procession from the home turn.
Skelton is a narrow favourite in the betting for the UK National Hunt trainers’ championship, which crossed the water to Ireland for the first time in 70 years when Willie Mullins emerged in front in April. Even Skelton seemed a little taken aback by the ease of Valgrand’s success, but if wins like this are evidence of even stronger quality in his yard this year, he will give himself every chance.
“His time from the back of three out to the line might look a bit fancy but Harry [Skelton, Valgrand’s rider] had the run of the race and the mare [Gale Mahler, the odds-on favourite] didn’t run her race,” Skelton said, “so we probably just need to see it again to make sure it’s rock-hard form.
“But he’s got a fantastic attitude and loves jumping, so what’s not to like?”
Skelton is 6-4 for the title, with Mullins close behind on 7-4 and Paul Nicholls at 5-1 to claim a record-equalling 15th title.
“Ultimately, you can’t fake quality,” he said. “You can prime an average horse for a big day, you can prime a good horse for a very big day, but you can’t fake quality and the more depth in quality you have, the more you can aim at the big races and have the big days.
“We’re getting more of those horses as a team, I believe. It’s a privilege to be in that position but the reality of it is that it’s going to be very hard.
“It will be six months of hard work from us, and if Willie turns up in month five [in March] and does what he can sometimes do [at Cheltenham’s festival meeting], month six is going to be a real battle for all of us, me, Paul, Nicky [Henderson] and if anyone else gets involved, good luck to them as well.”
Detain has class to lift Futurity Trophy
Five of the last seven winners of the Futurity Trophy have gone on to take a Classic as three-year-olds, while only Ancient Wisdom, successful 12 months ago, has failed to add another Group One to their record and there is no shortage of Classic potential in the eight-strong field for the last Group One of the UK season at Doncaster on Saturday.
Wimbledon Hawkeye is likely to start favourite to follow up his win in the Royal Lodge Stakes in September, while Delacroix represents Aidan O’Brien, the new champion on the Flat, who is looking for a record-extending 12th win in this contest.
They face strong opposition from Detain (2.40) and Anno Domini, both unbeaten after two starts, and John & Thady Gosden’s colt could easily find enough improvement to come out on top.
He has had a low-key introduction, winning two minor events on the all-weather at Kempton, but the time of Detain’s seven-length success last time was strong and he is a fair bet at around 9-2 to give his stable an overdue first success in this race.
Quick GuideDettori back with Gosden at Breeders’ Cup
Show
Frankie Dettori has been booked to replace Kieren Shoemark aboard John Gosden’s mare Emily Upjohn in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar next week, the trainer confirmed on Friday.
Shoemark has been aboard the five-year-old in all six of her previous starts in 2024, including when third behind Bluestocking and Aventure, the subsequent one-two in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in September.
Gosden told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Friday that Dettori’s long experience of riding at Del Mar had made the decision to book him “very simple”.
“Kieren knows [Emily Upjohn] but has never really ridden much in America and certainly hasn’t ridden at Del Mar,” Gosden said. “She is going to run in the Turf, Frankie is based in America he’s ridden Del Mar hundreds of times. He knows the filly and he knows the track.”
Emily Upjohn, whose official first preference was for the Filly & Mare Turf, was cut to 5-1 second-favourite for the Turf, over an extra furlong against male horses, when news of the switch and Dettori’s booking emerged.
Cheltenham 1.10 Gavin Cromwell had three wins and two seconds from five runners at this meeting 12 months ago and Dutch Schultz arrives on a fair mark having won off 6lb lower at Killarney in August.
Doncaster 1.30 Clive Cox’s juveniles often find plenty for a run and Fast Track Harry looks big at around 6-1 to build on last month’s promising debut.
Cheltenham 1.45 Millforce’s hurdling left a lot to be desired at Cork last time but he is still the most unexposed runner in this field and should return to winning form if he can start to cut out the errors.
Doncaster 2.05 Last year’s winner Aberama Gold is 11lb lower in the weights this time around, goes well with cut in the ground and looked to be coming to the boil at Catterick last week.
Cheltenham 2.20 After a progressive novice season over fences last year, Some Scope was a close-up fourth at this track in April and he remains on a workable mark for his second chasing campaign.
Quick GuideGreg Wood’s Saturday tips
Show
Cheltenham 1.10 Dutch Schultz 1.45 Millforce 2.20 Some Scope 2.55 Zain Nights 3.30 Bottler’secret 4.05 Theatre Man 4.40 The Dancing Tree
Doncaster 1.30 Fast Track Harry 2.05 Aberama Gold (nap) 2.40 Detain (nb) 3.15 Mustazeed 3.50 Mirabeau 4.25 Akkadian Thunder 5.00 Zip 5.30 Another Baar
Newbury 1.25 Jr Climbs 2.00 Too Much Heaven 2.34 Nap Hand 3.10 Benevento 3.45 Max Vega 4.19 Celestial Pearl 4.50 Macari
Kelso 1.35 Bold Light 2.10 Edgewell 2.45 Kingofthegame 3.20 Heart Above 3.55 Apple Away 4.30 Pay The Piper 5.05 Arctic Mann
Chelmsford 4.55 Sweet Fantastic 5.25 Prince Of Bel Lir 6.00 Bernard Spierpoint 6.30 Salamanca 7.00 Cloud Free 7.30 Cloudy Rose 8.00 Meng Tian 8.30 Batal Dandy
Cheltenham 2.55 Lucy Wadham’s Zain Nights is a tough horse for the handicapper to get a grip on as he always just does enough, and he could register a fifth win in his last six starts here.
Cheltenham 3.30 Another win for Gavin Cromwell is imminent here if Bottler’secret is anywhere close to his form when second in a Grade One at Punchestown in May.
