Dan Skelton Saturday runners blog: 'I've had this race in mind all season'

Dan Skelton has 14 runners on Saturday, February 21 2026 across meetings at Kempton and Chepstow. The Ladbrokes ambassador previews them all in his latest blog.

• Royal Infantry, Charlus & Tranquil Sea - Kempton - 13:10 race odds

• I Heard A Rumour - Chepstow - 13:40 race odds

• Precious Man - Kempton - 13:45 race odds

• Double Measure - Kempton - 15:00 race odds

• Boombawn & Hoe Joly Smoke - Kempton - 15:35 race odds

• Harper's Brook - Chepstow - 15:40 race odds

• Riskintheground, Etalon & Shakeyatailfeather - Kempton - 16:05 race odds

• Rattlin Home - Kempton - 16:40 race odds

• Hooj - Chepstow - 17:18 race odds

We're getting closer to beating last year's prize money PB, and obviously that ended up pushing Willie [Mullins] quite hard, and it meant he had to do what he did in the Grand National. So we're hoping that this year, these numbers and this effort will be enough. But, regardless, to be breaking our own record, potentially by the end of February, is fantastic... we couldn't have wished for more.

The horses have been in great form all year, and this has all been set up by the fact that we had such a good November. I'm just so impressed with the whole team; everyone has worked unbelievably hard and I'm really proud of everybody. From the owners to the staff, and especially the horses... hopefully we can continue for two and a half more months!

1.10 - Kempton - Royal Infantry, Charlus & Tranquil Sea

It's obviously a busy day for us at Kempton on Saturday, and we've got three in the first race of the day. Harry [Skelton] rides Royal Infantry, whose season is yet to get going really. But I think this trip, on this type of track, is ideal for him. I'd have to give him a fair chance. Like I say, it hasn't really been a glittering start to the season for him, but hopefully that can turn for this weekend. 

Charlus also runs in the race, and this is his first time out for us, so I don't know too much about him yet to be honest because we haven't had him all that long. But I thought that this would be a good track to start him off at. 

And then we've got Tranquil Sea, who I think will like the track - I don't have any problems on that front. But, at the same time, he hasn't looked very well handicapped. He's running OK at the moment, but no more than that. So with a bit of luck, we can get a clear round and a placing with him. He doesn't look that well-handicapped, but hopefully he's coming back to something near it. 

1.40 - Chepstow - I Heard A Rumour

We start with I Heard A Rumour at Chepstow on Saturday, running in a maiden hurdle. She unseated here at three out last week. She was running along nicely at the time, so I'd like to see her run at least as well, if not a little bit better this weekend. She's very inexperienced and she just jumped left that day, when a horse in front of her slowed up going into the hurdle. So she's got a lot to learn, but I think long-term she can be a nice mare for us - especially over a fence. 

1.45 - Kempton - Precious Man

We run Precious Man in the Adonis, and there's good form on his books at the moment obviously. This track suits him, and I'd like to think he'll go very close here. We're missing Cheltenham with him, and instead going to Aintree, but I don't have any negatives when it comes to him at all. I'm really looking forward to getting him back around this track - I think the speed nature of it will continue to suit him. 

3.00 - Kempton - Double Measure

Double Measure runs in the Dovecote and this is a race I've had in mind for him for some time. He won last time at Huntingdon, and obviously this is a similar track. He's in good form - he needs to step up, but I feel like as he's getting older, he's getting a bit stronger and we're getting a bit more experience into him. I think he's going the right way, and I think he'll be a main player here.

3.35 - Kempton - Boombawn & Hoe Joly Smoke

We've got two in the big race of the day: Boombawn and Hoe Joly Smoke. Again, I've had this race in mind all season for Hoe Joly Smoke to be honest. Three miles on this track is absolutely ideal for him. We've put a pair of cheekpieces on him as well. Obviously, this one is worth a lot of money and we felt it was worth laying him out for it, so we've done that, and his work has been good. The ground should be ideal... I'm really positive about the whole thing, to be honest. Hopefully he goes really well.

We're running Boombawn in the race as well, under top weight. He doesn't look that well-handicapped, but he knows how to run well in big races, so that bit of class is there, and we get seven-pound off as well as we're using young Harry [Atkins]. Whilst not well handicapped he does run well at Kempton.

3.40 - Chepstow - Harper's Brook

 We also run Harper's Brook here in a handicap chase - he didn't really show up the last day, but did win off a slightly higher handicap mark last year, and hopefully there's another day in him. He is obviously getting older, and so we are taking it run by run with him, but he seems in good form at home.

4.05 - Kempton - Riskintheground, Etalon & Shakeyatailfeather

Then we've got three in the handicap chase - Harry is on Etalon, and he gave him an unbelievable ride to win at Ascot a couple of runs ago, and followed that with another good run there the last day, but I feel like the handicapper has got him. He got harshly handicapped for winning that unbelievable race, when Harry was just brilliant on him. Hopefully he goes and runs really well again here, but we're not hiding a single pound from the handicapper.

The same can be said for Riskintheground; he doesn't hide a cent from the handicapper, he's been very consistent, had a great spring and has paid the penalty for that to be honest with you. He did run well in the autumn as well, it must be said, but he's paying for his consistency now. 

We've also got Shakeyatailfeather in there, she likes a bit better ground and I think Kempton's ground is probably the best around at the moment. Again, I think the handicapper has her high enough, but she has been consistent back in the autumn, and we're taking seven pound off her as well to give her the best chance we can.  

4.40 - Kempton - Rattlin Home

We then run one in the bumper: a real nice, young horse called Rattlin Home, who won an Irish point-to-point, the form of which has been good, as the second that day went on to win at Leopardstown on Boxing Day. He's done everything nicely at home. he's a great, big horse who will definitely be a nice jumper in time. His work has been nice and there's a lot to like about him. He wouldn't jump off the page as a bumper winner given his size, just because he's very much a jumper, but his work has been nice in preparation for this, so he should go really well. 

5.18 - Chepstow - Hooj

Then we've got a nice horse in the bumper, called Hooj. He was going to win an English point-to-point by a fair distance before he fell two out, but his work at home has been really nice and I think he'll go well here... he'll handle the ground without any problems. We've seen a lot of positives from him so far. 

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