TF 50 To follow, Thanks for that, good read.
YesI suspect Madara is one of them and (as predicted before the race) the hurdle run was just a prep race and the horse caught everyone's eye under a hold up, not too bothered ride.
The runs this horse put in before running away with a big handicap at the festival were not unnoticed by the stewards, but at the end of the day they ultimately get away with it and hit the big win.
But the target this year may well be this Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup?
If it wins that, I suspect festival handicaps will be out of reach.
Nurse Susan was also in the recent Windsor hurdle race. Another who attracted stewards attention on early runs last season and then went on to win a better race later.YesTufnel Madara was one of them, Supremely West was another 4 handbrake runs including blatantly running it around Cheltenham on the slowest part of the track , then he had an accumulator all on the same day all had 4 handbrake runs since a trainer switch from Ireland, and all unleashed in the same day, all should have been 10/1 + if their form was true, but with the handbrake off they were heavily backed favourites, the sad part is no one in control of UK racing gives a shit about what he was doing on the first 4 sighters since the trainer switch.
I think they even spotted Madara and Supremely West and questioned them and then didn’t give a shit. I don’t care how many winners he has, when ones like this leave a bad odour. How do you know when his horses are trying to win. The jockey has 2 distinct ways of riding also , he can be a aggressive when one is wanted but totally and completely inept when one isn’t.
Trainer Dan Skelton made headlines for executing a massive, Barney Curley-style across-the-card accumulator/four-timer on March 31, 2026, across meetings at Bangor and Newcastle. [1, 2]
The Four-Timer Winners
Skelton sent out a set of heavily backed and well-plotted runners that landed a combined 15-1 accumulator (and similar multiples), causing significant five-figure payouts for bookmakers like Paddy Power and DragonBet: [1, 2]
- Coumeenoole (15-8, Bangor) – owned by Blind Squirrels syndicate
- Palamon (Evens, Bangor) – owned by Blind Squirrels syndicate
- Service Minimum (8-15, Bangor) – owned by Susan Johnson
- Tyson (8-11, Newcastle) – delivering the final multiplier blow [1]
Trainer suggests:"He's only seven, so he's coming to his best and is entitled to improve."
"He's come back better than ever."
Key points:"I can see him making into a Welsh National type."
Following:"Looks a different horse now."
"We've always really liked him."
Reasons:"I'd love to get him into a decent handicap."
"A lot better than his mark."
Rating: Excellent benchmark for future handicap entries. These are among the strongest trainer comments in the feature."We'll be disappointed if he didn't win again."
Returned from illness and won on chase debut."Should definitely win more races."
Potential spring handicap hurdle horse."Looks classy."
| Rank | Horse | Trainer Signal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iroko | Grade 1 opportunity |
| 2 | Jagwar | National/Grade 1 horse still improving |
| 3 | Supreme Shot | Better than mark |
| 4 | Judicial Deference | Improve massively over fences |
| 5 | Las Canals | Trainer has always thought plenty of him |
| 6 | Billytherealbigred | Better than ever |
| 7 | Nevershedatear | Should definitely win more races |
| 8 | Seeyasunday | Classy spring handicap prospect |
All part of racingNurse Susan was also in the recent Windsor hurdle race. Another who attracted stewards attention on early runs last season and then went on to win a better race later.
In the Paddy Power Cup he also has the ex Nicholls horse who won a hurdle race quite easily 2 seasons back at Cheltenham and has some good handicap chase form at flatter tracks. I think that one might also show improvement for going back to Cheltenham plus whatever magic wand they use at the yard to ring more lengths out of these acquisitions from other yards.