Dan Skelton weekend runners blog: 'I think he'll have a squeak for sure'

Not even 24 hours after Cheltenham Festival 2025 comes to an end, Dan Skelton is back with several runners this weekend at Uttoxeter and Kempton, previewing them all in his latest Ladbrokes blog.

Harry [Skelton]’s going to Uttoxeter, where we run a new horse to us in the first race, Hidden History. He looks like he’s got some nice form and he beat a horse of ours at Lingfield last year. There’s a bit of a question mark over what trip and ground he wants, but I just thought that two-and-a-half on good-to-soft ground here is a great starting point. He looks well-handicapped on old form and he’s gone nicely at home for us. I think I can step forward from here, not necessarily in terms of fitness, but I can just learn a lot about him. I think he’ll have a squeak for sure.

We then run Joyeux Machin in a very valuable handicap hurdle. He didn’t run in the Coral Cup because the ground was a little too lively for him over two-mile five. I think three miles here is absolutely perfect for him. He was staying on well last time at Ascot, and I had this race in mind since - unless Cheltenham was going to be really soft, which it wasn’t. I think he’s got a massive chance.

We’re going to run Galia Des Liteaux in the Midlands National. She obviously carries some good back form and stays well; she was eighth in the Grand National. She’s not had the best of years, it has to be said, but she is coming down to a reasonable mark. Hopefully we can get a good day out of her here. The trip’s no real issue and she’s got plenty of experience.

Deafening Silence runs in a Novices' Handicap Chase. He won last time out, and I think this track will really suit him. He obviously comes into it in good form and I’d have to give him a fair chance.

Choice Runner runs in the Novices' Hurdle. He's a really nice horse, but I think he's a horse that next autumn will want two-and-a-half miles, at least, if not three. We’ll get him started here in a valuable novices' hurdle, and I expect him to run nicely, but I’d not necessarily say he could go and win – I don’t think he has the experience to beat some of these hurdlers at this time of year... but it’s good to get him started over hurdles.

We run a nice mare in the bumper called Queensworthy. She was second in an Irish point-to-point to a very impressive horse, and she should go nicely.

We’ve got Asta La Pasta and Riskintheground running in the first, a Novices' Handicap Chase. Asta La Pasta, right-handed, two-mile two – this looks like the perfect venue for him. He can be a little keen and probably hasn’t got two-and-a-half miles, so this is a good trip for him. Hopefully he’ll go close. Risk In the Ground just doesn’t look as well-handicapped as he needs to be to win. He was obviously winning last summer and that was suiting him - I think the handicapper needs to have a bit of a look here.

We’ve then got West Balboa in a Handicap Hurdle. She ran really well at the track over Christmas and the drop in trip for a couple of furlongs really suits her. She’s got some very high-class back form. I thought the run at Warwick the other day was a good run – with different circumstances she may have gone close to winning. She’s got a good chance.

Flegmatik, Hidden Heroics and Midnight River all run in a Valuable Handicap Chase here. Midnight River just hasn’t had the form this year, but the more sun that comes out, the more we’re starting to see from him, so hopefully he runs nicely and we get some business done in the spring with him.

He isn’t getting any younger, but hopefully the springtime can be a positive for him. Hidden Heroics is going to do well this spring too I hope but his handicap mark is a little high – I think the handicapper needs to have a look here – and as the ground gets better, I’m sure his runs will get better. He did have an injury at the back end of last year, so we’ve had to give him a bit of time. Flegmatik is very good around the track. He also isn’t getting any younger, but he’s in great form, he looks well and we’d like to think he could be very competitive here. 

Sail Away runs in a three-mile handicap chase. He just probably blew up the other day – I thought he was a bit fitter than he was. Three miles is much more like it, but you can’t just say he’s in the form that makes it look like he’s just going to go and win. He’s probably another horse that, as the spring builds, is going to get better and better.

Leaumec De Mee is a lovely horse we run in the bumper – a four-year-old-only bumper here. He’s a horse we like, he’s done loads of work and he’s a jumper for the future. I think he’ll run nicely, but I want to see him race correctly; settle and come through horses. If he can pass a few of them, that would be great – if he can pass all of them, that would be fantastic! He’s a nice horse and definitely one for the future.

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