Skelton breaks £5million prize-money barrier on day he lifts championship trophy

Dan Skelton got his hands on the trainers’ championship trophy before a race was run at Sandown on Saturday – but it was after Doyen Quest stormed to the bet365 Oaksey Chase he celebrated a further high in a record-breaking season, becoming the first trainer to pass £5million barrier in prize-money.

Earlier in the week Skelton achieved another first when a win at Perth meant he had saddled a winner at every single jumps venue in the same season. And having already set a record prize-money total in his drive for that elusive first title, he broke yet more new ground.

After soaking up the best part of £40,000 in the opening bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle thanks to a Queen Maeve led stable one-two, it was in the first graded action of the day that new landmarks were reached.

Skelton said: “It’s amazing and to do this… day’s like this might never happen again, we have to enjoy it.

“We work hard and I’m not saying everyone else doesn’t, but we’ve learned to really appreciate the ups and we’re all in it together.

“My owners have been awesome and how can you not enjoy this. We love trying to dream and always have grand ambitions and I’m never afraid to say them because I really feel we have the team to achieve.”

He went on: “Harry (Skelton, brother) got off this lad at Aintree and said we need to be more aggressive on him and what a ride. I was pretty relaxed watching him up the run-in. I don’t get too worked up during the races, it’s afterwards I let it all go a bit.

“He was in the colours of Norman Lake who was one of my first owners. There’s some other of my first owners here today, people who were there right at the start with us.

“This family’s colours got us the remaining track at Perth earlier this week and again to break the record – there’s something not quite normal about that. I’m a very proud man right now.”

It was only a Willie Mullins onslaught that thwarted a man destined to be champion in the past two seasons. But the pain of those two defeats is now a distant memory for a man determined to enjoy every second of his first title.

“This is sport and sometimes you get beat and you have to learn how to deal with it,” continued Skelton.

“It doesn’t mean you like getting beat, but getting beat by Willie on those two occasions, what can you do other than up your game.

“I’ve learned that getting beat isn’t the end of the world as long as you take out something out of that defeat and grow and get bigger. It doesn’t need to be a bad experience and yes you’re entitled to be disappointed, but I think we’ve encapsulated that in what we do.”

Among the crowd was an army of Skelton’s staff, family and supporters, who treated racegoers to Skelton-themed chants throughout the afternoon.

The trainer added: “I’m just so thankful and when I first started I felt a lot of pressure, but when the team grows it encapsulates everything and you gain a community you never knew existed and they’ve all come down today as they want to celebrate this as much as I do.

“We got beat at the eleventh hour and now we’ve won together and we’re a team. It’s my name on the door, but we’re a team and one big club.

“I love doing it with the people I do it with. Harry is right beside me every day and our families, Grace and Flo, Bridget and Harry’s kids – they are only little and don’t know what’s going on but they will be the next generation and I love that, it’s something very special.

“We have people in the yard who since they have started with us have had their own kids and now got mortgages and it’s a community we have. We all need each other and this year has really pressed that upon me.”

The contrasts in fortunes on this day returned, however, during the Celebration Chase, where one of the stars of Skelton’s charge to the title, Thistle Ask, suffered a fatal injury.

Paying tribute to the Clarence House runner-up, who before that had won four on the bounce including both the Haldon Gold Cup and Desert Orchid Chase, Skelton said: “He’s just been amazing and we’ll remember the things he’s done rather than today, which is a very sad situation.

“He’s just splayed his legs on landing and that’s been the result of it, which is awfully sad. It’s just something that can happen and horses do the splits in the field, it’s just one of those things.

“He’s just been an amazing horse and he was out there absolutely flying, loving what he does, and there you go, it’s the ups and downs of our sport.

“I’m just sorry for all involved and he’s a special little horse. I’m just sorry people had to see it and we have to face this front on. These are the athletes of our sport and sometimes it goes that way.

“What a winter he had and we’ve been so proud of him. We’ll always remember him as a special horse.”

Having finally reached the summit of the trainer’s mountain, Skelton has already identified the next Everest to conquer.

It is Martin Pipe Skelton has in his sights, or more importantly his record seasonal tally.

“Next year I’ve set myself and our team that target to go and get 244 winners to try to beat Martin Pipe’s all-time British jumps record,” said Skelton.

“It’s probably the hardest target we’ve ever set. There’s a reason it hasn’t been beaten for as long as it has. Arguably, it’s one that we could, not even arguably, it is one that we could easily fall short of. But I’m not afraid.

“With the team we’ve got, the personnel we’ve got, the owners we’ve got, I’m not afraid to say that this team can do it. I think we can.

“I think we’re at the point now where we can go above the parapet and say we can achieve, we can possibly achieve these things. And if we don’t, we’ll give it a go. I was really buoyed by the fact that last year when we got beat, the wave of support that people wanted us to win.”