English/Ire
‘I wouldn’t swap him’ – Skelton looking forward to seeing The New Lion roar in Champion Hurdle
Dan Skelton has said that he “would not swap” The New Lion as he gears up to attempt to give his handler a breakthrough winner in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.
Owned by JP McManus, The New Lion will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in at the Cheltenham Festival come March having landed the Turners' Novices' Hurdle over two and a half miles last season.
A tumble in the Fighting Fifth on his reappearance left questions to be answered, but he soon got his Champion Hurdle credentials back on track with a smooth success over the championship course and distance on Trials day.
"I think he's in great form, you can see he looks magnificent," said Skelton. "His season obviously had a rocky start up at Newcastle when he ended up where you don't want to end up but I learned a good bit about him that day,"
"Coming into the season his one unanswered question was did he have the speed to deal with two miles, and I thought he answered it that day, but he ended up on the floor.
"He enhanced that opinion for me on Trials day but that was a bit of a non-event as they went slow and then quickened up against horses he should have beaten. What he showed was he was quick-footed, Harry (Skelton) held him into the bottom of all his hurdles.
"I think he's in great physical condition and I wouldn't swap him. I never had any inclination to take him to Kempton (for the Christmas Hurdle) so it's not as if we missed a race, the only thing missing off his CV this year is a clear round and a high place or potentially better at Newcastle."
Whilst admitting he was surprised that his contender was favourite for the contest over the summer, Skelton completely understands why his high-class seven-year-old currently sits top of the market, with The New Lion now a general 5/2 chance on the back of the news that Constitution Hill will not line up next month and the absence of Sir Gino, who unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury during the International Hurdle.
Skelton added: "I was a bit surprised he was favourite over the summer as I felt others had achieved more at two miles, but I'm not surprised he's favourite now.
"Even if Sir Gino had finished and he was faster than us, then he was faster than us. I don't yearn to see all the championship things before you get there, I don't think you need to. It's sport, there's an element of the unknown and that is what makes sport interesting, opinion.
"I think we have all the things he needs to win a Champion Hurdle but that is coming from a man who has never won one! I've obviously never had a better chance, but I think everything he's got are what is required. It will turn into a staying race, it always does.
"He's not a fabulous work horse but when he gets to the track, he comes alive. We're really happy with him."
Check out our FREE full form, ratings for meetings in nine countries each and every day.