Dan Skelton Friday runners blog - October 9, 2026

Dan Skelton on course to hit targets

Things are going really well and our target to beat Martin Pipe’s record feels on track. The summer ground has hung around longer than we would perhaps have liked, and the summer horses have done so well but most have now reached the end of what they can give for the time being.  They have shot up the handicaps and performed absolutely brilliantly, and to have 92 winners on the board is quite remarkable. I think they will probably give us a few more before the month is out but really it’s over to the autumn team now.

We are doing a bit of a juggling act at the moment, keeping some of the summer horses going while the autumn horses start to come out. We are getting quite busy now and travelling all over the place in search of suitable ground. The target we are aiming for feels very much on track though.

Grace and I are also fitting in dance rehearsals in the evenings for Racing Welfare, trying to raise some money. We had a great time last year and it is so much fun. I do not know how good the opposition are, but we have the advantage of having done it last year for this great cause. The dance we are doing is not easy, I can tell you!

Cooltobecareless & Goliath Flight - 13:22 Chepstow

I think Cooltobecareless will go very nicely here. Olly Murphy’s King’s Scholar comes here fit from a summer campaign and will be the one to beat possibly. Cooltobecareless was second at this meeting last year, and I would like to think he can run equally as well, if not better.

We also run Goliath Flight in the same race. He underwhelmed in a bumper at Stratford, but he was a spring four-year-old at the time, and we probably should not have run him as we don’t run many at that age. He has worked nicely at home and, with decent ground around, we have to get these horses started somewhere. They are taking each other on to some extent, but they both need to begin their seasons.

Dutch Corner & Short Sell - 13:57 Chepstow

Short Sell didn’t run as well as expected on his first start. We were hoping for more that day, and he will need to take a step forward here.

Dutch Corner won over hurdles for us and was sixth in the novice hurdle final at Sandown. He has some nice form and should be competitive here.

Knickerbockerglory, Kateira, Listentoyourheart & Le Beau Madrik - 15:12 Chepstow

We have four runners in the Welsh Champion Hurdle. I feel Kateira is a bit too high in the handicap, but we have to get her started and she likes nice ground.

I think Knickerbockerglory is too high in the handicap as well and would prefer slower ground. He runs in these races regularly, though, and always performs well.

Listentoyourheart finished third in this race last year and should run well again. I don’t think any of these three are hiding anything from the handicapper though. 

Harry rides Le Beau Madrik. He was a good novice last year and is stepping back in trip, which is fine for his first start of the season around a big, galloping track. We have trained him for it and I think he will go very well.

North Shore - 15:43 Chepstow

In the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle, we have a new horse called North Shore, who won in Ireland before joining us. Two and a half miles looks a good trip for him, he has some nice back form and we have trained him for this. It is a very competitive renewal, so I wouldn’t say he is the one to beat, but I think he has a chance and should be there or thereabouts.

Typhoon Warrior – 16.17 Chepstow

Typhoon Warrior runs over two miles. I think he will want to step up in trip, but it is good to get him started over two miles around a galloping track, and we have to go where there is suitable ground.

Mostly Sunny - 16:55 Chepstow

Mostly Sunny has been off the track for a long time — well over a year — but with nice ground here, we will get him started. I think he will improve a bit for the run.

Burning Embers & Sheezer Diva - 17:31 Chepstow

Sheezer Diva and Burning Embers will both probably improve a bit for the run, but again, where else can we go with them? There is no suitable ground elsewhere, so we have to get them out and get their seasons started.

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