This is our profile of one of the young and talented Dan Skelton, already one of the leading National Hunt trainers in Britain.
We examine his recent form, history, notable winners, tips, and more.
Find out more about Dan Skelton:
Contents
Key Stats – Dan Skelton
- Name – Dan Skelton
- Date of Birth – 9 April 1985
- Birthplace – Warwickshire
- Racing Yard – Alcester, Warwickshire
- Big Wins: David Nicholson Mares Hurdle, County Hurdle (3), Henry VIII Novices Chase, Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, Finale Juvenile Hurdle, Manifesto Novices’ Chase, Mersey Novices Hurdle, Betfair Chase, Shloer Chase (2), Many Clouds Chase, Desert Orchid Chase and many more top jumps races
- Nationality – British
Dan Skelton – Trainer Profile
Dan Skelton is the son of British Olympic gold medallist showjumper Nick Skelton.
He is the older brother of Harry Skelton, who is the number one rider for the stable.
Dan spent nine years learning his trade at the stables of Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls before taking out his own licence in 2013.
Dan Skelton – Key Trainer Stats
Skelton hit the ground running in 2013-14 with 27 winners, which he increased year-on-year for the next five seasons.
He recorded his first century of winners in a season in 2015-16 when saddling 104 winners.
He then trained 156 winners in 2017-18 and a personal best 205 winners in 2018-19.
He is on track to train over 100 winners for the eighth consecutive season in 2022-23.
His horses earned over £2.3 million in 2018-19, and he could also exceed that total this season.
Dan Skelton Big Race Wins
Skelton’s first Cheltenham Festival winner was Superb Story in the 2016 County Hurdle. It was the first of three wins in four seasons in one of the most competitive handicap hurdles of the season. Mohaayed won at 33-1 under Bridget Andrews in 2018, with Ch’tibello adding a third victory in 2019.
Skelton’s other festival winner was Roksana in the 2019 Mares’ Hurdle. The race looked certain to go to Willie Mullins until odds-on favourite Benie Des Dieux fell at the last. That left Roksana to repel two further Mullins-trained runners in Stormy Ireland and Good Thyne Tara.
Nube Negra has won the Desert Orchid Chase and the Shloer Chase twice for Skelton, and Protektorat has emerged as the yard’s chasing star. He won the Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase at Aintree before finishing third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022. The gelding then won the Grade 1 Betfair Chase on his first start of 2022-23.
Dan Skelton – Most Famous Victories
Prokektorat’s win in the 2022 Betfair Chase underlined his claims as a contender for the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The race was expected to go to reigning Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard, but he was pulled up before three out.
One of Skelton’s greatest training performances must be his 2021 Greatwood Hurdle victory with West Cork. The horse had not raced for 631 days before his 3/4 length victory over Adagio. Nube Negra also upset the odds when winning the Desert Orchid Chase stylishly in 2020. He defeated the brilliant Altior by three and a half lengths.
Summary of Dan Skelton
Dan Skelton is not afraid to take a view and has publicly stated his concerns over the way Cheltenham dominates the National Hunt season.
However, if he has the firepower, you can be sure he will be doing his utmost to stem the flow of Irish winners at the festival meeting.
