Three of Dan Skelton’s best chances at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival

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Paying 100/1 with most operators to win the Cheltenham Festival’s Leading Trainer award, it’s clear punters and bookies alike don’t think trainer Dan Skelton has a talented enough team to challenge the likes of short-priced contenders Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Nicky Henderson.

However, that’s not to say he doesn’t have a handful of impressive horses who could challenge at this month’s Festival – and with that in mind – whether you’re having a bet at the tote or studying today’s horse racing card – read on as we take a look at three of Skelton’s best chances at Cheltenham.

Protektorat

A multiple-time Graded winner, eight-year-old Protektorat enters the Gold Cup at 14/1 in the betting lines – which is good for seventh favourite. While there are clearly a number of horses who are better-fancied, Protektorat has course and distance form on his side.

The French-bred horse has lined up at Prestbury Park an eye-popping nine times, and couple that with the fact that his last five outings have been at three miles or longer – and he is one thoroughbred you can’t write off in the Festival’s blue-riband event.

It’s clear Skelton thinks he has a shot, with the Warwickshire-based trainer noting that the Protektorat is a different horse from the one we saw finish third in the Gold Cup last year.

“He was third in the Gold Cup last year and he’s a bigger, stronger, better horse now,” Skelton said.

“You saw at Haydock when he’s at his absolute best how good he can be. If he goes into the Gold Cup like he was at Haydock, the run in the Cotswold Chase will be significantly behind him and I think he’s got a real good chance.”

Skelton is well aware of the challenge that awaits Protektorat however, stating that the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs deserves his very short ante-post price.

“Galopin Des Champs is the correct favourite. There’s a small question mark over three miles two furlongs at Cheltenham, which Willie is convinced he will answer positively,” he said.