Three live chances for Skelton at Warwick races on Thursday
December is a busy month for Warwick racecourse as, in addition to four Christmas Party Nights, there are two popular racedays starting with the Eventmasters Christmas At The Races meeting on Thursday which has a live choir and a Christmas market adding to the entertainment.
The feature race on the card is the Class1 eventmasters.co.uk Lady Godiva Mares' Novices' Chase (Listed Race) worth £32,500 and run over a distance of two and a half miles. Last year's race went to Cherie d'Am, highlight of a treble on the afternoon for Dan and Harry Skelton, but the stable is without a runner this time.
This year's contest looks an opportunity for Diva Luna, a wide-margin winner from Joyeuse on her chasing debut at Bangor-on-Dee, to add to her record of four wins. Although the runner-up was beaten at Exeter last Friday, the form looks strong enough and Diva Luna tops the ratings from Wyenot, also a winner on her first chase run at Ludlow. Irish trainer Gordon Elliott adds interest to the contest with dual winner Speculatrix and, although she was well beaten at Carlisle last month, that looked a hotter race and can't be ruled out.
There will be complimentary mince pies and mulled wine for early arrivals with the first of the seven races, the Heat Your Home With Alpha Fillies' Juvenile Maiden Hurdle over two miles, due off at 12.25pm. Made U Blush, a winner on the flat at Yarmouth in October when trained by Jonathan Portman, could make a winning debut for the Skelton stable.
Skelton also holds a good chance in the following Aztec Aerosols Contract Filling Maiden Hurdle with Moneygarrow, the choice from his two entries. Having his first run since wind surgery, Moneygarrow finished behind the well-regarded No Drama This End at Cheltenham last month and could have newcomer Blue Run to beat.
Chuggy has been raised 9lbs for his recent course win, but he is a young improving horse and could be another for Skelton in the Aztec Aerosols Spray Some Joy Novices' Handicap Chase.
The SG Fleet In Partnership With Barnardos Handicap Hurdle looks a tricky affair in which Jackpot d'Ainay could step up on his third at Carlisle for Wilmcote trainer Olly Murphy, although he has to contend with hat-trick seeking Confinentic, who comes from a stable with a 29% strike rate this season.
Prescatorius, having his first run for Tanworth-in-Arden trainer Rob Summers, is another on a hat-trick in the Larkshill Engineering Handicap Chase over three miles before the biggest field of the afternoon lines up for the concluding Whites Of Coventry & JIC Logistics Ltd National Hunt Flat Race for conditional and amateur jockeys, which could see Eternity Rose build on his first run when third at Doncaster.
Tickets are still available for the final meeting of the year, the PricedUp New Year's Eve Raceday, with live music throughout the day in the centre course enclosure.