A single winner on Cheltenham’s final card of the season was enough to maintain Dan Skelton’s narrow lead in the contest for the National Hunt trainers’ championship on Thursday, ahead of a busy Easter programme weekend when Skelton and the defending champion, Willie Mullins, will send dozens of runners to tracks in all parts of the country as the title race goes into its final week. Mullins, who was the first Irish trainer to win the British championship for 70 years when he edged out Skelton 12 months ago, equalled his own record of 10 wins at the track’s festival meeting last month. He could not add to his Cheltenham tally for the year from four runners yesterday, however, although all four finished in the money, adding £17,645 to the Mullins cause before Skelton’s mare Shakeyatailfeather went to post as 2-1 favourite for the Holland Cooper Mares’ Handicap Chase. It was a clear shot at a valuable prize for the stable as Mullins did not have a runner in the race, and Harry Skelton, the trainer’s brother, brought Shakeyatailfeather with a smooth run to overhaul the second-favourite, Somespring Special, on the run to the final fence on the way to a four-and-a-quarter length success. The Skeltons also fielded the 3-1 favourite in the concluding bumper, but while Sheezer Dancer finished strongly against the stands’ rail, she crossed the line in third. The final totting up before two Skelton-trained runners at Ffos Las on Thursday evening showed that Mullins, with a seasonal total of £3,141,202, had taken just £417 out of Skelton’s overnight lead of £30,761. Mullins is still a strong favourite to retain his title at 2-9, however, with Skelton priced up at 3-1. Skelton will have a series of chances to extend his lead on Saturday, as Mullins has no declared runners in Britain while his title rival has 10, spread over three meetings at Haydock, Newton Abbot and Huntingdon. Both trainers, though, will send strong teams to the valuable two-day Easter fixture at Plumpton on Sunday and Monday, which offers a total prize fund of £450,000 across 14 races. Web can return to winning ways There is a brief lull in the title race on Friday as attention turns to the finale of the all-weather Flat season, including the All-Weather Championships card at Newcastle with a total prize fund of just over £1m. All six of the championship events, which are now run as handicaps, have attracted a full field of 14 runners and Charlotte’s Web (4.07), a four-time winner already on the winter circuit, is an eye-catching 10-1 chance for the 10-furlong Easter Classic. Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly went down only narrowly in her bid for a five-timer at Lingfield in February, having looked a certain winner when she hit the front a furlong out, and Liam Wright’s 5lb claim is also very much in her favour. Newcastle 1.50 Marchogion made rapid progress from a long way off the pace when third behind So Darn Hot, the likely favourite, at Lingfield in February. He is 5lb better off now, at a track that should play to his strengths. Lingfield 2.05 The prolific and dependable Mr Baloo may still be ahead of the handicapper after three straight wins by less than three-quarters of a length. Newcastle 2.25 The consistent Quandary, a 12-1 shot in the early prices, posted a new career-best to win last time and the up-and-coming Warren Fentiman takes off a useful 5lb. Lingfield 2.40 A slight ease in class and the weights could see Dragon Icon notch a first handicap success. Newcastle 3.00 The lightly raced Cracking Gold notched a first handicap success in a useful time on his first run after a wind op at Southwell last month and looks overpriced at around 16-1. Lingfield 3.15 The handicapper has given Silky Wilkie, the runner-up in last year’s Ayr Gold Cup, a big chance here off a 10lb lower mark. Newcastle 3.35 Last year’s winner, Fivethousandtoone, looks to have been brought along with a repeat success in mind and Oisin Murphy is back aboard for the first time this year. Newcastle 4.42 The same £90,000 first prize as the Easter Classic and a big chance for Plage De Havre to extend Andrew Balding’s early lead in the Flat title race as he steps up to two miles for the first time.
Author: Greg Wood