Late call for Skeltons on Roksana’s Festival target
Ground will be key – with Mares’ and Stayers’ in equation.
Dan Skelton is likely to make a late call as to which race Roksana will contest at the Cheltenham Festival. The Alcester trainer will keep a close eye on the weather as the meeting approaches before making his decision. Should conditions be soft or worse for the start of the four-day fixture, Skelton would be tempted by the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle on the Tuesday – which Roksana won in 2019. However, if the ground is good to soft then Roksana could wait for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle two days later. The nine-year-old has leading claims for both races, and showed her well-being with a convincing victory over Magic Of Light at Ascot last month. “I’m really happy with her,” said Skelton. “She’s come out of Ascot well and she will either run in the Mares’ or the Stayers’. It will depend a little on the ground. “If the ground was just good to soft, then I think she’d have to go three miles. If it was a very wet forecast in the build-up, and we were going to get very wet ground on the Tuesday, she could go to the Mares’. “It’s a hard thing just to say ‘yes, definitely’ we’ll go for one or the other, at this point.”Follow us on Twitter racing365dotcom and like our Facebook page.
Latest
-
Mystik Dan clings on for victory in Kentucky Derby thriller
Coolmore-owned Sierra Leone was just denied in second, with Forever Young third.
-
Jack Kennedy claims first Irish jockeys’ title
Landmark success for rider as Paul Townend fails to catch him on final day.
-
Minella Crooner hits winning note at Punchestown
25-1 shot edges out Better Times Ahead in thrilling finish.
-
O’Brien shocked by City Of Troy’s Guineas flop
‘Obviously it’s not his run and we’ll see what happened and why it happened’.
-
Kargese win ends Mullins’ Grade One campaign on a high
Trainer registers a 39th top-level success of the season at Punchestown.
-
Burke confident Fallen Angel will stay Guineas trip
Trainer insists: ‘The mile holds no qualms, she should improve for the mile.’
-
Lossiemouth strolls to another Grade One success
Easy victory completes another Cheltenham-Punchestown double for Mullins’ mare.
-
Seven Questions has all the answers in Palace House
Shock 33-1 win for George Scott’s charge in Group Three heat.
-
Sly hoping for Newmarket rain ahead of Beau bid
Dahlia Stakes contender would prefer cut in the ground for Group Two test.