Dan Skelton Saturday runners blog: 'We are very excited to have a real chance, he was very good at Cheltenham'

Dan Skelton has 13 runners across three meetings at Aintree, Chepstow and Sandown on Saturday, December 6. The Ladbrokes ambassador previews them all in his latest blog.

Aintree

• Top Guy - Aintree - 12.24 race odds

• Edelak - Aintree - 2.05 race odds

• Galia Des Liteaux - Aintree - 2.40 race odds

• Sunray Shadow - Aintree - 3.15 race odds

Chepstow

• Presley - Chepstow - 3.21 race odds

Sandown

• Soldier Reeves - Sandown - 12.10 race odds

• Miss Cynthia - Sandown - 12.43 race odds

• Supremely West - Sandown - 1.20 race odds

• Be Aware - Sandown - 1.50 race odds

• Knickerbockerglory - Sandown - 2.25 race odds

• Honky Tonk Highway - Sandown - 2.25 race odds

• Kateira - Sandown - 2.25 race odds

• L'Eau du Sud - Sandown - 3.00 race odds

Aintree

Top Guy – 12.24 Aintree

Top Guy is running in a handicap hurdle. He will be better off running over a bit further as he was just touched off over 2 ½ miles last time. I think three-miles is a better trip for him but it is a much deeper race which we will have to take into consideration. All in all, hopefully he can go and win a couple of races at some point, and we will go chasing in the future.

Edelak – 2.05 Aintree

Edelak runs in a good listed juvenile. It’ll be his hurdling debut, but he has done loads at home. We’ve had him since the summer and have done a lot of jumping. I am very happy with how that’s all gone and he is ready to get started. He has a good attitude, he will probably handle the ground, and he has a good level of form on the flat. I’d like to think he will run well but to expect him to win a listed race on his debut is a bit strong.

Galia Des Liteaux – 2.40 Aintree

Galia Des Liteaux runs in the Becher Chase and she has just come into good form. We haven’t had her as well since she ran in the Grand National. There’s a bit of rain in the air and she will love the ground. Left-handed is preferred so we have come here rather than Sandown. Tristan [Durrell] rides and the three pounds off is helpful. She is ticking a lot of boxes. Having said all that, it is the Becher Chase…a hugely competitive race over big fences. I would give her an each-way chance for sure.

Sunray Shadow – 3.15 Aintree

We run Sunray Shadow in the handicap hurdle at the end of the card. It’s a very competitive race but he has very little weight. He ran at Newbury quite well after having a bit of time off and he will be a bit sharper for that. Whether he can just go in and win a deep handicap like this remains to be seen.

Chepstow

Presley – 3.21 Chepstow

We run a lovely unraced horse called Presley, by Harzand in the bumper. We have done plenty of work at home and like what we see. He is a big chasing type for the future, but he should do well in a bumper because he’s not a slow horse. I wouldn’t go as far as saying we will definitely win but we like what we see.

Sandown

Soldier Reeves – 12.10 Sandown

Soldier Reeves won around Cheltenham the last day. He can be a little keen so we dropped him in the last day and he came home strong. Soft ground and stamina conditions are what really suit him and he is going to get those here. It is a massive step up in grade. You’ve got the likes of Hobbs’ horse, Sober Glory, who is unbeaten and has been highly touted, so it’ll be very hard. But our horse has the conditions he wants and should go well.

Miss Cynthia – 12.43 Sandown

Miss Cynthia debuts for us in a handicap hurdle. We are learning about her, but she has done well at home. She won last year and nearly stayed three-miles. Stamina is obviously her forte and we are happy to take on this race. Fingers crossed she can go and run well.

Supremely West – 1.20 Sandown

Supremely West runs in the three-mile handicap hurdle, carrying top weight. He ran well first time up at Cheltenham in October, but not quite so well the last day. Top weight is a hard job but three-miles on softer ground are his conditions so we will see how he gets on.

Be Aware – 1.50 Sandown

Be Aware runs in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and it’s a race I have had in mind for him all season. Having said that, if he’s beat here, he will be stepping up in trip. I think he will run really well but it is a hard race no doubt. He carries good form into this race; he was second last time giving 7lbs to a very good mare over the trip. He jumped well around Cheltenham, he has been around Stratford as well, and it’s nice to have a bit of experience under your belt before you go for a Grade 1. The track will really suit him. We have to be respectful of some fancy rivals in here but at the same time they’ll be respectful of us too I’m sure.

Knickerbockerglory – 2.25 Sandown

Knickerbocker Glory will be ridden by Harry [Skelton] and he won this race last year. He’s very good fresh and we have waited for slower ground which he likes. He has a higher mark this year which will be hard, but he’s in good form. He should go and run really well.

Honky Tonk Highway – 2.25 Sandown

Honky Tonk Highway ran at Bangor last time, but never really got going. She needed knee surgery at the back end of last year and she’s just taken a bit of time to get warmed up this season. From what I see at home, it looks like all the ability is still there. It’s just a question of knocking the edges off her and making it all a bit smoother for her. This seems like an appropriate race, she likes the track, so we thought we’d get involved.

Kateira – 2.25 Sandown

We also run Kateira in this race. We wouldn’t want too much rain. We didn’t win at Ascot in hot graded company so we might have a look at handicaps. She’s got top weight, and 7lbs off.

L’Eau du Sud – 3.00 Sandown

L’Eau du Sud runs in the Tingle Creek, the big Grade 1 race of the day, and we are very excited to have a real chance. He was very good at Cheltenham. We didn’t know what to expect that day taking on Jonbon. We were very taken by what he did and he has been fresh and well since. We had him fit for Cheltenham so we haven’t had to work hard to bring him forward. The trip is fine, he won on the card last year, and although it’ll be hard taking on Jonbon with a run under his belt, Il Etait Temps will be very hard to beat. He’s bombproof and they can ride him whatever way they want. He is versatile on ground and track. But look at how much we have improved from last year. It is hard to quantify what that improvement is numerically, so we are going there full of hope and we will give it our best shot.

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