Dan Skelton 2026-27 Jumps season stable tour

Dan Skelton starts the 2026/27 jumps season as reigning champion trainer for the first time. He spoke to Ash Symonds at Lodge Hill Farm Stables about his plans for the season, including Grey Dawning, The New Lion and Bossman Jack.

Chasing Martin Pipe's record

Skelton's title came after a change of approach. In previous years the yard had focused on its winter team, but last season it targeted numbers from the summer onwards, setting its sights on Martin Pipe's record.

"Just last year, we thought maybe we could do something a little different and take aim at that numerical target of Martin Pipe's," Skelton said. "So we had to get our skates on through the summer. The horses read the script."

He believes the yard has now reached its limit. "There is a saturation point. And I do believe we are at the point where we should not be getting any bigger."

Stable stars

Grey Dawning

Grey Dawning will go back to Haydock to defend his Betfair Chase crown, with an entry in the Coral Gold Cup as cover. He will not run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup again.

"I've gone on record. I'm not running him in the Gold Cup again," Skelton said. "My opinion is he is not going to win a Gold Cup."

Grey Dawning finished fourth in last season's Gold Cup before winning a second Grade One of the season at Aintree over an intermediate trip. Skelton was frustrated by those who said afterwards that the horse wasn't good enough.

"You finish fourth in a Gold Cup and people just say, well, literally you're not good enough. It's just offensive. I don't like it," he said. "I love the horse. I defend the horse."

The New Lion

Skelton spent the summer considering a step up in trip for The New Lion, but he will start on the Champion Hurdle route.

"I have never ever not said that he is still, on form, the best two-miler in the UK," he said. "Maybe we need to just explore that before we go up in trip."

A return to the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle will depend on the ground. "I could not believe how fast they were going," Skelton said of last year's race. "If he was to go, then it'd have to be slow ground."

Mydaddypaddy

Mydaddypaddy, second in the Supreme last season, could also go for the Champion Hurdle before going chasing. "The Champion Hurdle picture, bar Lossiemouth, is a very open-looking situation and I think he tips his hat into the ring," Skelton said. "I stand by the fact that we will be chasing at some point."

Kabral Du Mathan

Kabral Du Mathan made a winning chasing debut at Perth. Skelton says the Cheltenham November meeting and the Henry VIII could come next, and then he could be put away for the Arkle.

"He just oozes class," Skelton said. He has no regrets about running him in the Stayers' Hurdle: "I know I got the race right. Just got the result wrong."

Sinnatra

Stablemate Sinatra is a very different sort. "He's a bit of a thug like that," Skelton said, though he added: "He's a very good jumper, by the way."

The ground will decide which races each of them runs in. "Soft ground would bring them very, very close together."

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Bossman Jack

Last season's Grade 1 winner Bossman Jack goes chasing, but Skelton won't commit to a Brown Advisory campaign.

"I've no doubt about any trip for him really," he said. "I think there could be even bigger targets the following year. So I just don't want to empty the tank."

The plan is a run first, then the Cheltenham December meeting.

Protektorat

The yard's long-time star Protektorat will race on for one more season.

"If you could ask him how old he was, he'd tell you he's about six, maybe seven," Skelton said. He has two races in mind for him: "If he won one of those two, that'd be it. He'd be retired."

Mr Hope Street

Mr Hope Street heads to the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury after running a promising third at Stratford. "Newbury is going to be by far and away the biggest test he's ever had," Skelton said. "But he is now ready for it."

Push The Limit

He also told people not to give up on Push The Limit, the expensive former Flat horse who finished third on his hurdling debut at Carlisle. "I'm sure it'll all come together for him."

Watch Dan Skelton's stable tour in full on the Racing TV YouTube channel.

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