Warwickshire trainer Skelton stays on target to set new record

Sunday's meeting at Uttoxeter was the last jumps meeting for nearly three weeks as the season takes its summer break which means a pause in Warwickshire trainer Dan Skelton's quest to set a new record this season.

Skelton's target is Martin Pipe's long-standing record of 243 winners in a season achieved in 1999/2000 and, needing to average just over 20 a month from the start in May, he raced to 51 winners by the end of June at a strike rate of over 40 per cent.

The pace slowed in July, however, and, going in to Sunday's meeting, he had trained 13 winners from 48 runners.

Skelton had seven runners on Sunday, including three in one race, but had to settle for one winner, when At The Oche, running in his first chase, made a winning stable debut in the Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship Handicap Chase.

This took him to 65 winners in the first three months of the season at a strike rate of 36 per cent with the record attempt still very much on.

So far, the mare Beorma has been the stable star, winning seven races in row, but Stratford winners Edelak, successful four times, and Thickthorn Tom, with three wins, have also added to the total.

One prize that got away in July was Market Rasen's £75,000 Betway Summer Plate Handicap Chase in which Kingston Narcissus, brought with a well-timed run to lead at the final obstacle, was pipped on the line by Queensbury Boy, going down by neck.

Skelton's brother Harry has ridden 61 of the stable's winners, with Tristan Durrell (2), Harry Atkins and Kielan Woods on the other four.

Harry has also ridden three winners for other trainers and his total of 64, at a 38 per cent strike rate, sees him sit 13 ahead of reigning champion Sean Bowen in the table.

Jump racing resumes at Perth on Saturday, 15th August with the next meeting at Stratford scheduled for Thursday, 20th.