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My five to watch ahead of the 2024/25 jumping season
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My five to watch ahead of the 2024/25 jumping season

Leading jockey Harry Skelton gives Oli Bell his high five for following this season of jumps from the mighty Skelton team.


DEAFING SILENCE (Dan Skelton)

Graded winner over hurdles last year, he hasn’t competed in many races but I would like to hope that by clearing fences over three miles with any break in the ground he can hopefully -the, be a classified artist. I’d like to think he can improve a bit for the jump and have a good productive year.

SOPRANO PONY (Dan Skelton)

He started his hurdles career with a win at Exeter and did very well. I’d like to think he can take a good step forward throughout the season; I think it will last two and a half miles. He’s a big baby and you won’t see him raced too much, but I’d like to hope that the races he does run will be a nice, promising horse for the year.

DAWN GRAY (Dan Skelton)

He was great last year, winning at the (Cheltenham) Festival. It’s a big step towards the open company, but we’d like to hope that he can take this step in his stride and compete in some of the proper sustaining races this year, with the ultimate aim being to return to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup and he will be trained to do it and hopefully he can have a great year.

SOUTHERN WATER (Dan Skelton)

Eau Du Sud got off to a good start over obstacles at Stratford (replay below) and I hope the new discipline will bring him many improvements. He is a great traveling horse with great cruising speed and I think the biggest obstacles will be his construction. Hopefully he can compete in the Novice Ranked Pursuits later.

ROYAL INFANTRY (Dan Skelton)

He was first home for the English in the Champion Bumper, unfortunately there were a lot of Irish in front of us. But he had a Listed win at Newbury and has done well at home and I would like to hope that he can contest some of the best novice hurdles throughout the year and hopefully he has a Happy New Year ahead.

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