Ayr treble edges Dan Skelton further ahead in title battle

Dan Skelton shows no sign of giving up on his dream of a first trainer’s championship after extending his title race lead with a treble on day one of the Coral Scottish Grand National meeting at Ayr.

The Alcester handler appeared to have one hand on the trophy little over a week ago, but reigning champion Willie Mullins spectacularly slashed the deficit across three days at Aintree as he not only claimed eight winners but also saddled five of the first seven home in the Grand National.

Just over £122,000 separated the pair prior to racing in the west of Scotland on Friday – and with the Mullins saving his battalion for Saturday’s card, Skelton seized the opportunity to go further clear, with three winners and a narrow second seeing him add £46,276 to his prize pot.

Skelton said: “It’s been a good day, they’ve all run really well. We needed to see them run well, so that was good.

“We thought we had a nice bunch, Ayr has been good to us in the past and it’s nice to see that continue.”

It did not take Skelton long to hit the target, with his first runner of the afternoon Roxanne (100-30) making a successful debut over obstacles in the Abbott Risk Consulting Ltd Mares’ Maiden Hurdle.

Roxanne’s rider Kielan Woods then completed a double aboard Billy Boi Blue (12-1), who denied the Skelton-trained 100-30 favourite Ace Of Spades by a head in the Get Home Safe With Thistle Cabs Handicap Hurdle.

However, Dan and Harry Skelton were soon back in the winner’s enclosure, with 13-2 shot Riskintheground picking up the best part of £26,000 with victory in the feature Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase, and the hat-trick was completed by Asta La Pasta, who justified 6-4 favouritism with a front-running demolition job in the SEKO Logistics Scotland Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

The yard’s final two runners of the day, Nurse Susan and Out Out, finished out of the money, but Skelton can nevertheless be pleased with his afternoon’s work ahead of what looks to be a pivotal Saturday as the Mullins machine rolls into town.

Skelton added: “Tomorrow is a big day. It’s a bigger day for him (Mullins) than it is for me obviously because he’s running so many, but it’s a big day for us in that we don’t want him winning too much!

“He’s going to win something, but this time last year I think we were pennies ahead going into the Saturday so we’re further ahead this year, which is good.

“The boats are coming, but it will be what it will be.”