Harry Skelton discusses his best chances at Cheltenham, which horse he’d most like to ride and teases a new celebration for success at the Festival.
With the Cheltenham Festival just days away, oddschecker’s Leon Blackman sat down with reigning British champion jockey and Star Sports ambassador Harry Skelton to discuss his top rides, race plans and insights on some of this year’s biggest Festival contenders.
Skelton’s Festival Highlight
Asked about which rides he’s most looking forward to, Skelton highlighted Protektorat, who returns to defend his crown in the Ryanair Chase, where he is currently a 5/1 third-favourite. As well as Be Aware in the Coral Cup on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival.
“I’ve got some really nice chances,” he said. “Protektorat going back to defend his crown in the Ryanair, he seems really well. Be Aware has a nice chance in the Coral Cup.”
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Be Aware: 6/1 Favourite for the Coral Cup
Be Aware has been strongly backed this week on oddschecker, picking up 29% of all Coral Cup bets placed through our platform and Skelton is quietly confident about his mount’s chances.
He said: “I think he’s got a real good chance, stepping up to 2m5f for the first time this season. Dan’s really mapped his season out around this Coral Cup, so he’s fairly unexposed at the trip. It was a good run in the Greatwood over 2m, and granted he gets a clear round, I think he has a great chance.”
L’Eau Du Sud: 9/2 for the Arkle
When asked about his Arkle Chase ride, L’Eau Du Sud, Skelton emphasised his confidence in the horse despite fierce competition from 4/7 favourite Majborough.
“I think he’s got a great chance; a lot of experience under his belt, winner over course and distance. I think he ticks a lot of boxes. The drying ground will suit him well. Majborough is a very high-class horse, he's looked very impressive but doesn't have too much experience. We’re very happy with L’Eau Du Sud and think he’ll go there with every chance.”
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The New Lion: 7/4 Joint-Favourite for the Turners
Skelton dismissed a long-standing racing statistic regarding Challow Hurdle winners not performing well at Cheltenham and praised The New Lion’s preparation.
“He’s in great shape and form. The drying conditions are no problem. Very impressive in the Challow Hurdle. People say no horse can win at Cheltenham after winning the Challow - I think that’s a load of nonsense.
"It’s more what kind of race they have at the Challow. We always said we wouldn’t run him if conditions were heavy. He was a very impressive winner, he’s had a nice break since then and he’s very fit, well, and ready to go.”
Champion Hurdle: Constitution Hill Favoured
If given the chance to ride a horse outside his stable at the Festival, Skelton would opt for unbeaten Champion Hurdle favourite, Constitution Hill.
“Constitution Hill. I think he can win the Champion Hurdle. Brighterdaysahead runs now, getting the 7lb allowance. Gordon Elliott has done a great job with her… but I think she’s got to step up again to win here.
“She was beaten here last year by Golden Ace, and if she’s that good, how did that happen? I think the value in the race is State Man, he’s the forgotten horse. But I do think Constitution Hill wins.”
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Gold Cup: Galopin Des Champs – "The Best Stayer I've Seen"
On the Festival’s biggest race, Skelton shared his admiration for Galopin Des Champs, describing him as potentially the greatest staying chaser he's seen.
“Galopin Des Champs has been incredible. I think he’s the best staying chaser that I’ve ever seen. What he did at Leopardstown was unbelievable. He absolutely destroyed them and I think he’s going to put in another remarkable performance next Friday at Cheltenham.”
Advice to Young Jockeys at Cheltenham
When asked to share advice for young jockeys riding at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time, Skelton encouraged them to keep their approach simple and stay grounded.
“Just keep most of it the same really. Obviously, it’s a big occasion but if you do your homework, you’ll be fine. If you’ve got one or two jockeys you look up to, go back and look at their rides and see where they're positioned in the race. The main thing is to go out there, enjoy it, and not overthink it.”
A New Celebration for Festival Success?
Finally, pressed if fans could expect another memorable celebration from him, Skelton teased with a smile: “You’ll have to wait and see.”
The Skelton Grade 1 treble of The New Lion (Turners), L’Eau Du Sud (Arkle), and Protektorat (Ryanair) pays a best NRNB price of 85/1 at the time of writing, compared to 60/1 elsewhere.
Stay tuned to Oddschecker for the latest Cheltenham Festival odds and the best free bets, as well as analysis and exclusive insight from industry experts.
