The New Lion on course for Fighting Fifth return

Dan Skelton is keen to let The New Lion do the talking ahead of his planned reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

The JP McManus-owned six-year-old is a best priced 4-1 favourite for next year’s Champion Hurdle, having rounded off an unbeaten novice campaign with victory in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Skelton has identified Newcastle in early December as his planned starting point this term, where he could meet Nicky Henderson’s dethroned champion Constitution Hill among others.

“I’m really happy with him. He’s a big name and I don’t want to talk him up any more than his name has already got him, but everything is going smoothly to go to the Fighting Fifth,” said Skelton.

“You won’t hear me with him or any of the others over-inflate and tell you that they’re going to win three Champion Hurdles and all that nonsense, that’s not what the horses need in their life.

“We’ll prepare him the best we can and hopefully he’s a contender come March, but we’ve got some big days to go through before we get to that point and hopefully it starts at Newcastle.

“Constitution Hill could be there and there’s a few others talking about it, so fair play. Let’s go and give it our best and hopefully that’s good enough.”