Champion trainer Skelton happy but always wanting more

Dan Skelton has a lot on his mind this weekend. A lot of issues to sort. A lot to think about before horseracing's biggest jumps event of the 2026-27 season so far, the three-day November Meeting at Cheltenham, starting on Friday.

Will it rain? Will the ground be right? Which of his horses will it suit best if it does? Which one will his brother Harry choose to ride? Can he get one of his three entries for the Paddy Power Gold Cup first past the post at Prestbury Park? Can he find a venue big enough to house 110 for the Team Skelton Christmas party?

And, as he admits with a smile, Dan loves it. Really loves it.

Skelton now has over 200 horses in his yard at Lodge Hill, hidden away deep in the Warwickshire countryside close to Alcester. He has more than 70 staff. Almost as many owners. And, don't forget, he is the reigning champion jumps trainer, a coveted crown that finally came his way in April.

"Do I think about it? Not really, if I'm being honest," he told BBC Midlands Today. "You're so wrapped up in what you're doing day to day you don't have to dwell on it.

"I do go past the trophy every morning though. I've kept it somewhere I can see it. And that encourages me to do even better.

"It was something I'd always wanted to achieve in life. At least we've done it. And I'd be lying if I said we didn't want to do it again. And again. And again.

"It's the nature of being in sport. You get that winning feeling, which is tangible. It's addictive. There's no point in pretending it's not. But yes. I do love what I do."

He was only the third of the celebrated Skelton family to win an equestrian trophy really worth winning.

Dad Nick was Olympic showjumping champion in 2012 - at the age of 54.

Brother Harry was champion jockey in 2021.

Now Dan is champion trainer, having finally got past the post first - after twice being "mugged" almost on the line by Irish legend Willie Mullins, whose big triumphs in the big races edged him ahead on prizemoney won - not on numbers of winners, as the jockeys' championship is decided.

Other than both brothers winning their respective titles in the same year, which they do currently look on course for in 2027 (Harry Skelton leads reigning champion Sean Bowen 135 to 97 and Dan is £1m better placed than Warwickshire neighbour Olly Murphy, his nearest rival), what happens next?

"Well there's Martin Pipe's record for jumps in a season (243 in 1999-2000)," he said. "That's there to have a go at.

"I'm very conscious of the fact that this might be the best we ever have it, so I'm just trying to embrace the journey. Like a young man you can't wait to have his first beer but then when he finally has it, it doesn't quite taste like he thought it would.

"In a straight line graph we're ahead of where we need to be this season - but everything will have to go well. We need to keep going the way we are and stay healthy."

Starting this weekend, when he will have Blueking D'Oroux, Madara and Riskintheground all in there pitching for the Paddy Power Gold Cup alongside the favourite, the JP McManus-owned Meetmebythesea.

"Our two short-priced horses both have obvious claims," said Skelton. "Blueking D'Oroux is a second-season novice and they do have great records.

"But, if you're just an occasional punter, I couldn't say RiskingTheGround would be the worst decision you'd ever made either."

One of the plus points at this particular Cheltenham meeting is that Mullins, Henry De Bromhead, Gavin Cromwell, Gordon Elliott and the other top Irish yards do not tend to bring many across.

"You start to see more of them around Christmas time," said Skelton. "It brings a slightly different dynamic when the Irish turn up. But you've got to take on the best at some point."

In any case, the major decisions are often in-house. Which is their own best bet when they often run two or three in the same race?

"We've got more horses than we've ever had. 200ish. We're at saturation point. We cannot take any more.

"Harry often has to make a decision. He's definitely going to make a wrong decision at some point this season, maybe even more than once - but, if another of ours ever does win, he's still congratulating whoever has won. They all have to have a share of the spoils.

"But he is a massive part of the team and it is through no small effort on his part that these three horses even arrive in this race on Saturday."

How to handle the horses on a daily basis though?

"We move the horses around a bit. Some of the summer horses go on holiday and we look to the winter horses to bring on," Skelton said.

"We're always moving our team around. That's a management skill and it's where your team might do their best work."

The main thing is that they will be out there racing this weekend.

"Cheltenham worked hard to get the October meeting on and they've had to work even harder for the November meeting as they've had no help from above.

"The whole country is in a massive rain debt. We need it to start raining quick to fill up these reservoirs.

"Yes, we're getting into the winter racing season but it's also a sign that, environmentally, it's getting a bit serious.

"If your ground is firm, the lighter-framed horses can skip over it.

"But the bigger horses need it much slower or you can't run them, You have to look after their welfare.