Dan Skelton Saturday runners blog: 'All in all, I'd have to give him a chance'

Dan Skelton has 11 runners at Cheltenham and Kelso on Saturday, October 25. The trainer previews them all in his latest Ladbrokes ambassador blog.

Cheltenham

• Major Fortune - 1.10 race odds

• Great Fleet - 1.45 race odds

• Hoe Joly Smoke - 2.20 race odds

• Prince Zaltar & Supremely West - 2.55 race odds

• Loriko - 3.30 race odds

• Le Beau Madrik - 4.40 race odds

Kelso

• Brookside La - 1.35 race odds

• Diamond Dealer - 2.10 race odds

• Snipe - 3.55 race odds

• Thistle Ask - 4.30 race odds

Saturday is quite a busy one for us, with a couple of meetings - we start with Major Fortune at Cheltenham, and we're just keeping an eye on the ground for him. Good to soft would be fine, and that's what they're advertising, so hopefully it continues that way. He had a bit of chase form last year, he was second on one occasion at Leicester and I think he will improve over fences as time goes by. This is a good place to get him started, though. He's got that experience, which will hopefully be useful in this field. 

Great Fleet runs in the Novices' Hurdle over three miles, and I don't think that will be a negative for him whatsoever. He's had a run under his belt, where he ran really well at Kelso earlier this month. I don't see the trip or the track being an issue here, the ground should be lovely for him too. I'd like to see him build on Kelso. He perhaps doesn't have the fanciest bumper form, like some of the others in this race, but he has that run under his belt and should see out the trip well.

Hoe Joly Smoke runs in the big chase - obviously he didn't stay the trip in the Gold Cup at the end of last season, but he had some nice handicap chase form on offer from before that day. I think this trip is good, I don't see the track really being an issue and we've done loads of work with him at home. He's off a reasonable mark as well, so all in all, I'd have to give him a chance. I don't necessarily think he should be favourite, because it's a very deep race, but I'd definitely give him a fair chance. 

We've then got two in the Pertemps race: Prince Zaltar and Supremely West. Young Harry [Atkins] is riding Prince Zaltar taking seven off. He won last time, and I think three miles will be a positive for him. He's got no weight at all, and off the back of that last run, you'd like to think he'll go nicely here. 

Supremely West is having his first start for us. He's obviously an experienced horse and he stays the trip very well. The softer the ground, the better for him; I don't think this is quite going to be soft enough for him to be at his absolute best, but we've got to get him started, so we're in here, and hopefully the ground stays good to soft and we can run. 

Loriko runs in the four-year-old hurdle - this is quite a valuable race with not that many runners, and he's got a run under his belt this season at Uttoxeter. I think he'll improve a great deal for that, and this being a more stamina-type track should suit him, although he has a lot to find with the principles.

Le Beau Madrik runs in the bumper; he ran really nicely at Plumpton at the back end of last year, although he bumped into one of Willie [Mullins]'s on that day, which was a little frustrating... but that can happen. I think he's improved over the summer, though, and I'd like to think he'll go very well here.

Up at Kelso we run Brookside La in the Maiden Hurdle - he had a good first run at Newbury, and then for some reason his season just fell apart really. I'm delighted to get him out over hurdles, though, that's much more his thing; by Shantou, he's a proper jumper, and I think you'll see a better horse here. I wouldn't be surprised if he builds on this run as well; I don't necessarily think this will be the best he'll be all year, but we should see a better horse jumping. 

Diamond Dealer runs in the Novices' Handicap Chase, he's a new horse to us and he has to go left-handed. It'll be helpful that from four out that there's a rail the whole way around the inside, and I think that'll be good for him. I'm looking forward to getting him started for us but I don't really have great expectations, because I don't really know enough about him yet, but he should be better over a fence.

Snipe runs in the big chase at Kelso and he's got 10 stone, with Tristan [Durrell]'s 3lb taken into consideration - that'll give him a definite chance... he's had a run under his belt as well, so I'm looking forward to running him in a valuable race.

Thistle Ask runs in the two-mile chase here, and he's another who is new to us. This looks like his type of trip though, based on his old form. I've been happy with what I've seen at home, and Tristan rides him a lot at home, too, so he knows him quite well. Again, I'd have to say he'll run quite well here. 

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