I’m absolutely Mad for Skelton’s hotpot in the Plate
DAN SKELTON is well clear at the top of the trainers’ championship with a lead of almost £2 million, so it’s going to be difficult for Willie Mullins to crash his party again this year.
The Warwickshire-based handler has plenty of bullets to fire this week, including a number of favourites in the handicaps.
MADARA is top of the pile in the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase (4.40pm) and it’s easy to see why.
After joining the yard in November from Keiran Burke, he has finished fourth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, second in the December Gold Cup and second again last time out at Kempton behind Issam.
This race has undoubtedly been the target and although he is just 9/2, I’m struggling to find one against him.
Just over two years ago when trained by Sophie Leech, he won a valuable two-mile-one-furlong handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival, but this two-mile-five-furlongs is his trip nowadays.
He goes well at Cheltenham and is still only seven-years-old, so he undoubtedly has improvement to come from a mark of just 140.
There are loads of Irish horses in with a chance, as you’d expect, but I’m not sure there are any that are thrown in.
The Jonjo and AJ O’Neill yard have hit form over the past week, so you’d have to respect the chances of both Jipcot and Peaky Boy.
The drop back from three miles should suit the former, while the latter is a course and distance winner but fell last time out at Newcastle.
I am happy to stick with Madara as my sole selection, though, to kick off the Skelton handicap bandwagon with a bang.
POINTERS TUESDAY
Madara 4.40pm Cheltenham