Latest news from this afternoon’s meeting at Cheltenham

Skelton excited by Protektorat win

PROTEKTORAT ran his rivals ragged to win the SSS Super Alloys Supports Racing Welfare Novices’ Chase.

Representing Dan and Harry Skelton, the 6/5 favourite briefly looked in trouble three out as Southfield Stone tried to challenge but he bounded clear from the home turn to win by 17 lengths and earn 25/1 quotes for the Marsh Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in March from Betfair and Paddy Power.

The winning trainer Dan Skelton said: “When we got him from France, he was just one of those National Hunt horses you get sometimes as juveniles that think they are incredibly quick, but actually they’ve got a quick brain and almost slow legs, and once they learn to accept that this is the speed that they are, they are so much better.

“How many juveniles do you see come from France that are a bit quick in year one, and so much better in year two and then three? It’s been a case of giving him time, treating him right at home, and ultimately getting him over a fence – that’s been the final key.

“You do depend on your team at home. You can’t be around them all the time every day, and sometimes you can see too much of a horse and sometimes you can see too little of it – there’s a happy medium there as a trainer or a horseman, whatever you want to say, where you trust your people to get on with the job, and he’s been a real advert for that.

“At home we don’t have to work him particularly hard; you don’t need to work him with other horses because he’s always doing plenty. Chris [King, former event rider] did loads of jumping at the start with him, and it’s just worked really well.”

Harry Skelton added: “Protektorat was unbelievable. You don’t see many horses jump round Cheltenham like that.

“He is a horse we think is a three-mile chaser, we won’t overrate him this year and he won’t be going three miles yet. He is only five-years-old, but hopefully he is very good.”

Nicholls run continues with Saint

MAGIC SAINT (100/30) capitalised on a drop down in class and trip to capture the two-mile Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Handicap Chase, continuing a fine run of form for trainer Paul Nicholls.

Conditional Bryan Carver claimed 5lb on the 152-rated chaser, who had posted a creditable performance on his seasonal return when finishing sixth in the Monet’s Garden Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase at Aintree.

After tracking leader On The Slopes, Magic Saint travelled strongly into the lead approaching the second-last and had plenty in reserve to see off Fanion D’Estruval (5/1) for a two-and-a-quarter-length victory.

Carver said: “Magic Saint travelled brilliantly. Trudy, who led him up, said he was in absolutely fantastic form beforehand. The ground this morning was a bit of a worry, it’s a little bit softer than he would like it, but he’s been absolutely brilliant and travelled throughout, jumped ecstatic — perfect. He absolutely winged the second last and then the last – he has gone and done it very nicely.”

Magic Saint is away and clear at Cheltenham

Harry Derham, assistant to the winning trainer, said: “He travelled great today, got in a lovely position and jumped very, very well and two good jumps up the straight sealed it.

“Paul has the horses in fantastic form at the moment, they all look very well and all the jockeys are riding excellently, so long may that continue.

“Magic Saint travelled really strongly at Aintree and didn’t quite get home, but did everything right today – travelled well, jumped fantastically well, and two good jumps up the straight sealed it. He got in a great rhythm, but over two and a half miles you are always taking him back, whereas today he was jumping really well and then keep letting him run, which seemed to suit him fantastically well.

“As I said, he winged the last two, which made him difficult to catch. We always thought he was quite a smart horse and had fancied him for plenty of races, and it was nice to see him put on a big display like that.

“All his wins have come at two miles and I suspect we’ll stay there, but we’ll see what the handicapper does with him and go from there.”

Robin delivers in opener

Paul O’Brien and Charlie Longsdon combined to take the Markel Insurance Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle with CASTLE ROBIN.

The 13/2 winner travelled strongly throughout and turning in had leader Silent Assistant (11/1) in his sights.

That pair went on to fight out the finish with the strong-travelling 15/8 favourite Induno fading into fourth.

Steal A March (8/1) thundered home for third but having hit the front shortly after the last, the winner went on to score by two lengths.

Castle Robin goes to the front at Cheltenham

Longsdon said: “Hopefully he was well-handicapped; he has only had a couple of runs, and after his Carlisle win we hoped he was well enough handicapped to win today, and he has. It is great – his ears were pricked.

“I love him, he has always been a nice horse. He is a chaser, a proper chaser. This is the first time we have been able to drop him in, which is great, and he has been crying out for that for ages. It’s good to get a win!

“I think that was Paul’s first winner at Cheltenham. He was emotional after the race and it is fantastic to see him have a winner here. He gave Castle Robin a great ride and we are delighted.”

O’Brien added: “It was a brilliant performance by Castle Robin. The race went pretty straightforward for us, he travelled well, jumped great and stuck it out all the way.

“He was a little bit idle up the hill after the last, he kind of pricked his ears, but was always doing enough. The ground is on the slow side of good, with bits of soft ground, it is beautiful ground.”