Dan Skelton Boxing Day runners blog: 'Hopefully he can justify his favourite tag'

Dan Skelton has 18 runners across meetings at Aintree, Market Rasen, Sedgefield and Wetherby on Boxing Day. He previews them all in his latest Ladbrokes blog.

• Broomfield Aderra - Aintree - 12.00 race odds

• Heltenham - Aintree - 12.30 race odds

• Mydaddypaddy - Aintree - 1.05 race odds

• Supremely West - Aintree - 1.40 race odds

• Snipe - Aintree - 2.15 race odds

• Chuggy - Aintree - 2.50 race odds

• Moments In Time - Aintree - 3.25 race odds

• Quaviste - Market Rasen - 12.40 race odds

• Kykorock - Market Rasen - 1.15 race odds

• Delgany Deadline - Market Rasen - 2.22 race odds

• Ghasham & Belle Le Grand - Market Rasen - 3.32 race odds

• Dalston Lad - Sedgefield - 12.20 race odds

• Drakaris - Sedgefield - 3.10 race odds

• Laffer Curve - Wetherby - 11.52 race odds

• Brookside La - Wetherby - 1.00 race odds

• Sunray Shadow - Wetherby - 2.10 race odds

• Get Up Mush - Wetherby - 2.45 race odds

Aintree

Broomfield Aderra – 12.00 Aintree

She won last time and I think she has a fair chance here. The track will really suit her and the trip is ideal. The handicappers sort of pitched her in there with a middling mark and said “look, you can possibly win off this, but it’s no gimme.” I will say she will run really well, and stop short of saying she will win. The handicapper has set her a hard enough task without it being an impossible one.

Heltenham – 12.30 Aintree

Heltenham runs in a handicap chase. He knows how to run well in these races. He doesn’t hide anything from the handicapper. He was second last time and ran well. Another good run is probably on the agenda but hard to say he will just win.

Mydaddypaddy – 1.05 Aintree

Mydaddypaddy runs in the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle and it’s very exciting to have him up there. It is a race we have had in mind and hopefully he can justify his favourite tag. I think this will be his last run before he goes to Cheltenham, but I reserve the right to change my mind. He looks great. He’s had two runs leading up to this which is what we did with The New Lion last year before his Grade One. We have been happy with how everything has gone and it’s now a case of let's get out there.

Supremely West – 1.40 Aintree

Supremely West runs in a handicap hurdle and ran really well for us first time. He has run OK for us since but I think the handicapper has got him. We are trying two-and-a-half because he travelled well the last twice. He isn’t hiding anything from the handicapper so we will see how we get on.

𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟! 🎄

Dan Skelton & Darren Gough take on Ben Jones & Robert Croft to make a chocolate yule log.

A trainer, a jockey & 2 cricketers… what could possibly go wrong?

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— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) December 22, 2025

Snipe – 2.15 Aintree

Snipe runs in this handicap chase, a race he won two years ago so we are returning to the scene, hoping for another victory. He has gone two years without winning now so hopefully this return sees him in a good light.

Chuggy – 2.50 Aintree

We run Chuggy in a novices’ chase and it’s a pretty competitive race. Probably not as many runners as you might expect though, but we felt it was an acceptable place to try him up in class. He is only young but he is progressive and going the right way.  I am not loading him up with expectation in a deeper race but we are hopeful.

Moments In Time – 3.25 Aintree

We run Moments In Time in the bumper and he is a lovely horse. He won his point-to-point very well and has worked nicely at home. This race has been in mind for him for some time now and I hope he goes really well.

Market Rasen

Quaviste – 12.40 Market Rasen

Quaviste runs in a novice hurdle. He made a right mess of the last, last time out. He was running well at the time. I think he is improving but we need to go and get a clear round first and foremost. I think he will improve going into the spring. I want to see a good run here, but I will stop short of saying he will win. It’s competitive but he’s going in the right direction.

Kykorock – 1.15 Market Rasen

Kykorock won the last day at Warwick and got a good ride off Harry [Skelton]. The handicapper has bumped him up but I don’t think he’s beyond this mark. The track should be fine and we just have to throw our hat in the ring. I think he will run really well.

Delgany Deadline – 2.22 Market Rasen

Delgany Deadline has done loads of work over fences and schooling. He was competitive over hurdles without winning and it’s time to go chasing now. I am looking forward to seeing him over the big fences and we will have no excuses. He should go and run well.

Ghasham & Belle Le Grand – 3.32 Market Rasen

We run two in this handicap hurdle. I think the handicapper has got hold of both of them. That’s as much as I can say really. Hopefully one or both can exceed expectations. When the handicapper relents, I think they will be horses that can win in the spring

Sedgefield

Dalston Lad – 12.20 Sedgefield

Dalston Lad will be ridden by young Harry Atkins who takes 7lbs off. He should run really well. He ran a much better race last time and a repeat of that should see him go very close.

Drakaris – 3.10 Sedgefield

Drakaris runs in the bumper. She was second the last time in a bit of a scrappy race. It was weird how it worked out. The winner kicked on and got away from everybody. We chased him down but couldn’t quite get to him. A more conventional run race will see her in a better light. She feels like she has improved and I would like to think she will run very well.

Wetherby

Laffer Curve – 11.52 Wetherby

Laffer Curve runs in the first at Wetherby. She ran nicely in a bumper the last day and will be much better suited to hurdles but this is a very deep race. There are lots of runners and we just have to see how we get on but I am very happy with how she has jumped.

Brookside La – Wetherby 1.00

Brookside La should be competitive off his mark as the handicapper has given him a chance. It will be hard first time up in a handicap but I think he will run nicely.

Sunray Shadow - 2.10 Wetherby

Sunray Shadow runs in a handicap hurdle and he has had a couple of runs this year, running ok without shining the spotlight on himself. He is down to a more realistic mark and I would like to think he will go well. The track will suit him and I don’t have any negatives.

Get Up Mush – 2.45 Wetherby

He’s had a long time off with an injury but seems absolutely fine but I think he will sharpen up for the run. I don’t have winning expectations here but he should run nicely.

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.