Access all areas Dan Skelton

The Warwickshire trainer has been firing out big race winners this season. Jennifer Donald goes behind the scenes to find the team's focus shifting towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup and beyond

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A SHARP frost sparkles under a watery February sun, coating the rolling Warwickshire countryside as far as the eye can see. The shadowy hue of a dozen racehorses emerge through the early morning mist, before the unmistakable thud of galloping hooves breaks the crisp silence. From the breathtaking vantage point offered from the summit of a network of pristine gallops, Dan Skelton is quietly assessing his string of thoroughbreds filing past.

This is the Alcester trainer’s 10th season and it has been nothing short of remarkable for the dedicated, family-driven team. “The Saturday Skeltons”, as they’ve become known, have fired out a rich vein of big race winners recently, including the Becher Chase with Ashtown Lad, Protektorat in the Betfair Chase and the Coral Gold Cup with Le Milos – all under Dan’s jockey brother Harry Skelton – while sister-in-law Bridget piloted West Balboa to victory in the Lanzarote Hurdle.

“I’ve been very proud of the team this year,” says 37-year-old Dan. “People say we’ve had really good Saturdays, but if you have the numbers we have – and it’s a lucky position to be in – you want to be having Saturday winners, otherwise none will very quickly become less. People buy horses for you to train and they give the rides to Harry, Bridget and our other jockeys, because they want success – if you’re not getting results, the wheels will soon fall off.