English/Ire
Protektorat survives late scare to land Premier Chase
Harry Skelton and Protektorat survived a late blunder to land the odds in the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on Saturday.
The 2024 Ryanair hero returned to winning ways with a commanding success in the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor and with expected main rival Iroko out of contention with Cheltenham in mind, Dan Skelton's eleven-year-old was sent off a 1/12 chance.
Things looked like they were going to plan for the short-priced favourite but a shuddering mistake at the second-last sent Harry Skelton up the horse's neck, and as a result, Minella Drama surged to the front.
However, his time at the head of affairs was short lived, and once stoked back up by Skelton, Protektorat powered back to the front before drawing away to score by eight and a half lengths.
Dan Skelton told ITV Racing: "He's a brilliant horse, but I kind of half-thought he was going to make a mistake as he was so enthusiastic all the way round and he had everything his own way.
"It's a hard thing to do to ride at that pace when you should be sending them on.
"I genuinely thought he was better coming into today's race than at Windsor. He made the mistake but got back on top, he's the best we've had him this season.
"He'll go on to Aintree now for the Grade 1."
Skelton, who now has a commanding lead in the title race, added: "That (championship) should take care of itself now. I'm not going to publicly declare that we've won it because we haven't given how it bore out last year, but we've never been in a better position."
Captain Hugo made a successful switch to handicaps when landing the valuable bet365 Morebattle Hurdle later on the card.
Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, Captain Hugo, who was sent off a 14/1 chance after falling in novice company at Musselburgh last time, was looking to make the eight-hour journey worthwhile for connections and in the hands of Sean Houlihan, he picked up well over the last to score by three parts of a length from Serious Challenge.
"He was a bit slow early on as a novice taking on handicappers for the first time, but he's tough," said Houlihan.
"I wanted to make my challenge after the last and he kept going all the way to the line.
"It was a brave call to run in a handicap after a fall, but it paid off. He'll be a lovely horse over a fence, and I imagine it will be Aintree next for him."
Tom Lacey looks to have a useful prospect on his hands after Montemares ran out a comfortable winner of the Grade 2 bet365 Premier Novices' Hurdle.
Already a two-time winner over hurdles, Montemares arrived at Kelso looking to get back to successful ways having suffered his only defeat when behind Paul Nicholls' Turners Novices' Hurdle bound No Dramas This End in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle.
The unexposed five-year-old, who was well-backed from 12/1 into 6s just before the off, always looked to be travelling nicely under Stan Sheppard and once given the office, he stayed on well up the straight to beat Jamie Snowden's Kosac d'Oudairies.
"I couldn't go the early gallop so I just sat on him as long as I could and then the race fell apart around him," said Sheppard.
"He's only five, he got outstayed at Newbury by older horses but if I could design a race, it would be this trip, two-mile-two."
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