Dan Skelton Saturday runners blog: 'I think he'll massively outrun his odds'

Dan Skelton has 12 runners during a jam-packed Saturday at Newbury, Newcastle and Bangor. The Ladbrokes ambassador previews them all in his latest blog.

It's a big weekend for us with horses at Newbury, Newcastle and Bangor on Saturday, and hopefully they continue in the form they've been in for us so far this year. Obviously we're delighted to have them in this type of form, so long may it continue... everyone's working hard to make sure that is the case, so we're hopeful we can go well again in the next couple of days.

Newbury

• Sheezer Dancer - Newbury - 11.55 race odds

• Live Conti - Newbury - 2.15 race odds

• Panic Attack & Riskintheground - Newbury - 2.55 race odds

• Etalon - Newbury - 3.35 race odds

Newcastle

• Le Beau Madrik - Newcastle - 11.42 race odds

• Just Golden - Newcastle - 12.50 race odds

• The New Lion - Newcastle - 2.00 race odds

• Brace For Landing - Newcastle - 2.35 race odds

• Deafening Silence - Newcastle - 3.15 race odds

Bangor

• Brookside La - Bangor - 11.30 race odds

• Jack Black - Bangor - 1.12 race odds

NEWBURY

11.55 - Newbury - Sheezer Dancer 

Sheezer Dancer is our first runner of the day at Newbury in a very good-looking mares' novices' hurdle. It's a listed race, and she ran here at the last meeting. I think this race will suit her a bit better; they'll hopefully go a stronger gallop which should suit her, but it is a very deep race. I like this mare, though. I think she's good and hopefully she does herself justice because she's a smart mare. 

2.15 - Newbury - Live Conti

Live Conti runs in the Gerry Feilden and it's a good race, as you'd expect. He carries forward Grade 1 form from last year as a juvenile, and I expect him to be very fresh and well on this first run of the year. I could see him over-racing if anything, to be honest with you. We're going to need to get him settled, and if Tristan [Durrell] does that, he should go well. I think he's a horse that will get better and better as the season progresses though.

2.55 - Newbury - Panic Attack & Riskintheground

It's obviously a huge day at Newbury and we've got two in the big race: Panic Attack and Riskintheground. I’ll start with Riskintheground, though, because I think he's a massive price. If we don't get too much rain between now and Saturday afternoon, I think he'll massively outrun his odds... he's in as good a run of form as he can be. He's been very good in recent races... OK, he's got to get the trip, but I'm really happy with the form he's in and he's bred to get the trip - a lot of his family stay well.

Panic Attack obviously speaks for herself; she went and won at Cheltenham last time out and we felt we'd give this a go because she's been in great form. There's not a lot more to add when it comes to her really; yeah, it's going to be difficult trying to win two big handicaps in the space of two weeks, but she's in good form, she looks great and I'm happy with how she's been in between the two races.

3.35 - Newbury - Etalon

Etalon runs in the concluding two-mile handicap chase, and this is a horse who is quite at home in these fields. He's already got a run under his belt this year, he ran really nicely at Fontwell last month. It feels like he's stepped forward, but he's going to need to do that because he's not hiding anything from the handicapper, that's for sure. He belongs in these top-end handicaps though, so hopefully a good run is on the cards.

NEWCASTLE

11.42 - Newcastle - Le Beau Madrik

We're obviously up at Newcastle as well, where we start with Le Beau Madrik in the opener there. He's been second in two good bumpers now, and we were a bit frustrated not to have won one of those bumpers, but I think he came up against good opposition in both. He now goes jumping, though, which is what he was bred to do, and we're very happy with what we've seen at home. Hopefully he'll give a big account of himself here. 

12.50 - Newcastle - Just Golden

Just Golden then runs in a good staying novices' hurdle. It's going to be hard to beat the favourite here with a lofty mark, but this is one who's definitely improved for us since his first run at Uttoxeter. We've had this race in mind for him since that day, so we're hoping that nice run will have brought him forward and he runs well again here.

2.00 - Newcastle - The New Lion

We've obviously got The New Lion in the Fighting Fifth, and I'm delighted to get him back out again. His training has gone well, we've done plenty with him at home, but we think he will improve a bit ahead of this one. We're looking forward to getting his season started, and I'm interested to see how he copes over two miles because he's never gone two miles over hurdles before. I think he will travel well though; everything I've ever seen from him suggests he should cope with the drop in trip.

But of course, he's coming up against Constitution Hill, who Nicky [Henderson] says is back to his best. So if that is the case, then of course he's going to be extremely difficult to beat, because when he was at his best, he was unbeatable... so it's going to be a hard race. 

2.35 - Newcastle - Brace For Landing

We've then got Brace For Landing in a two-and-a-half-mile handicap, and he's stepping up from two miles. From what we saw at Stratford on his only start for us, he definitely wants that step up in trip. He is only four, though, so there is a caveat to stepping up in trip at that age; it's quite a big ask. But he's in good form at home and I think he'll go well.

3.15 - Newcastle - Deafening Silence

We then conclude things on Saturday with Deafening Silence in the Rehearsal Chase, and it's one I've had in mind for him all season. We were considering running at Carlisle three weeks ago, but I didn't feel that the ground was quite soft enough. So he comes here fresh, and that's certainly not a negative. We've done a lot with him, I feel like he's off an acceptable handicap mark, and he should be going very well in this. I don't really have any excuses for him.

BANGOR

11.30 - Bangor - Brookside La

We start the day at Bangor with Brookside La in a novices' hurdle - he hasn't shown enough yet to win one of these types of races, so maybe he's going to be one for handicaps later down the line. He should be winning races in the future.

1.12 - Bangor - Jack Black

We've then got Jack Black later on, who'll be having his first run over fences. I think fences will really suit this horse and he should run a lot better than his previous finishing positions have suggested in hurdles. He has run nicely in hurdles, but I think he's going to be a much better chaser, and hopefully he’s well treated for a career as a chaser now. It's hard to say he'll just go and win on his first time out over fences, but he should run well here. 

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