Dan Skelton will head to Cheltenham with his best ever squad after The New Lion clinches victory in the Challow Hurdle
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Dan Skelton is doing everything he can to become champion trainer for the first time and he will head to Cheltenham in March with his best ever squad. Skelton already had Grade One winner L’Eau Du Sud for the Arkle Chase but yesterday at Newbury he unleashed The New Lion to win the Challow Hurdle in such a fashion that it is hard to see how he will be beaten in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.
![[Skelton hailed The New Lion, stating that he is as good of a novice hurdler as he has ever had]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/28/21/93546581-14232649-image-m-19_1735421970876.jpg)
The New Lion pulverised a field which included Regent’s Stroll, whom Sir Alex Ferguson and friends had paid £660,000 to race in their colours, that it was not far-fetched to liken what he did to past winners such as Denman and Champ. Skelton has accrued £1.6million in prize money so far this season — £500,000 more than his nearest rival Paul Nicholls — but the big prizes are what drive him and there is no question that The New Lion has the ability to win plenty in the coming months.
‘That was incredible,’ said Skelton. ‘In terms of novice hurdlers, he’s probably as good as I’ve ever had. Everyone else can make comparisons, but I always say I’ll defend my horses and I won’t inflate them, we’ll let the track do that. I’m delighted and he’s got it all.
‘We always hoped he’d put in a performance like that but getting it done is a different matter. I had it in mind I wanted to be here for this, so I made sure I trained him right for it. I thought he’d win, but I didn’t think he’d do that.’.
