Yeah, even as a fan of the horse he's mostly beat trees today. Couldn't have done it any easier, but it is what it is with regards the opposition.
Definitely would prefer a faster run race though.
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2026 Novice Hurdlers
- Thread starter ComplyOrDie
- Start date
Yeah, even as a fan of the horse he's mostly beat trees today. Couldn't have done it any easier, but it is what it is with regards the opposition.
Definitely would prefer a faster run race though.
Eggs
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….Dan Skelton;
He said: "We've always liked him. Obviously he won his bumper nicely in the spring time and we looked forward to going jumping with him. I actually tried my hardest not to run him last year because he was only four. To be fair, Dermot (Hanafin) who owns him put no pressure on to run but he was itching to see him rum because our reports had been quite favourable.
"Was just so ready, he was almost naturally ready and you just couldn't hold him back. And I wouldn't say that about too many horses at all, but it was just the right thing to do.
"We're going over hurdles at an early age of four but I don't consider that to be a negative. I'd love him to be five with the spring in mind but he's obviously, very, very good and if they're good enough they're old enough.
"The best thing about him today was if you watched him beforehand, how he walked around. There was no bother on him at all, he was on a loose rein for Amber who looks after him and led him up. There's a bit of Walk In The Park in him - a bit of fire - but the more he's doing the less he pulls and everything is going the right way. It has to, because if you're going to have a really good horse then it all has to go the right way."
While Skelton was pleased to see the horse making a winning start at the new discipline, he wouldn't have been surprised if Mydaddypaddy had taken a blow and improved a lot for the outing.
He said: "He's only as fit as they all are and some are winning, the novices, but I did explain to Dermot that he may take a blow and if he got beat then he got beat. It was class that got him through in the end, but you want to see a nice clear round so there was a little bit of pressure.
"The more I'm doing this and the owners understanding that we build into the season, rather than set the fireworks off early with the novices especially, if a very helpful position to be in. It just allows those horses that little bit of freedom to make a mistake as a novice. And if they don't win, then they won't carry a penalty straight away and they can go back in a maiden.
"With those novices, if they do improve then there are pros to it. We watch Aidan (O'Brien) do it a lot on the Flat with those good maidens, they finish third, fourth or fifth first time and step forward massively. I've just learnt a little bit to replicate those people who have gone before me and do it very well.
"You've got to have the Tolworth (now Formby Novices' Hurdle, Aintree) in mind, there's an introductory hurdle at Haydock in two weeks and he could go there. We may skip Haydock and go straight there. We'll see how his jumping is.
"I will run on soft ground but I definitely wouldn't run him on heavy, not at this stage of his life. And then we'll look to get him in the best possible shape for the spring, we'll stick to the minimum trip for as long as we can, but this horse's mother got three miles so he'll stay further."
Sky Bet's Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "It's clearly very early days with the novice hurdlers this season but Mydaddypaddy looks a very exciting prospect for the Skelton team and it will be interesting to see how he progresses through the campaign."
He said: "We've always liked him. Obviously he won his bumper nicely in the spring time and we looked forward to going jumping with him. I actually tried my hardest not to run him last year because he was only four. To be fair, Dermot (Hanafin) who owns him put no pressure on to run but he was itching to see him rum because our reports had been quite favourable.
"Was just so ready, he was almost naturally ready and you just couldn't hold him back. And I wouldn't say that about too many horses at all, but it was just the right thing to do.
"We're going over hurdles at an early age of four but I don't consider that to be a negative. I'd love him to be five with the spring in mind but he's obviously, very, very good and if they're good enough they're old enough.
"The best thing about him today was if you watched him beforehand, how he walked around. There was no bother on him at all, he was on a loose rein for Amber who looks after him and led him up. There's a bit of Walk In The Park in him - a bit of fire - but the more he's doing the less he pulls and everything is going the right way. It has to, because if you're going to have a really good horse then it all has to go the right way."
While Skelton was pleased to see the horse making a winning start at the new discipline, he wouldn't have been surprised if Mydaddypaddy had taken a blow and improved a lot for the outing.
He said: "He's only as fit as they all are and some are winning, the novices, but I did explain to Dermot that he may take a blow and if he got beat then he got beat. It was class that got him through in the end, but you want to see a nice clear round so there was a little bit of pressure.
"The more I'm doing this and the owners understanding that we build into the season, rather than set the fireworks off early with the novices especially, if a very helpful position to be in. It just allows those horses that little bit of freedom to make a mistake as a novice. And if they don't win, then they won't carry a penalty straight away and they can go back in a maiden.
"With those novices, if they do improve then there are pros to it. We watch Aidan (O'Brien) do it a lot on the Flat with those good maidens, they finish third, fourth or fifth first time and step forward massively. I've just learnt a little bit to replicate those people who have gone before me and do it very well.
"You've got to have the Tolworth (now Formby Novices' Hurdle, Aintree) in mind, there's an introductory hurdle at Haydock in two weeks and he could go there. We may skip Haydock and go straight there. We'll see how his jumping is.
"I will run on soft ground but I definitely wouldn't run him on heavy, not at this stage of his life. And then we'll look to get him in the best possible shape for the spring, we'll stick to the minimum trip for as long as we can, but this horse's mother got three miles so he'll stay further."
Sky Bet's Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "It's clearly very early days with the novice hurdlers this season but Mydaddypaddy looks a very exciting prospect for the Skelton team and it will be interesting to see how he progresses through the campaign."
Guinness Village
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Apart from the grey handicap chaser….. drop a few more for the grand annual
Istabraq
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All decent yardsticks but I’d imagine we haven’t seen the best novice of any division yet…
Magpie
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Could well do, especially if the Irish have something special somewhere. Little bit of hope.
Lobos
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Plenty of hope. He's mentioned a few times previously re possibly stepping him up .
darlojim
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Skelton wouldnt be the type to shirk a challenge.
He didnt with TNL and he thinks this lad is better at this stage of his career.
Lobos
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Runragged
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Not on him but if you are then not sure you can ask much more from a debut. Hurdled really well if marginally to the right (May just be because on a right handed track) and looked a little keen which is to be expected and still travelled really well through the race. Only thing I would like to of seen was the 2nd fav be put into the race which is no fault of his. The Murphy horse looked a real non trier sitting off the pace then unable to close at the finish. I mean jumping the first Harbour Island was already 3 lengths behind and they had hardly gone express pace to the first. Long way to go and wouldn't dream of taking the price now but if already on then you are sitting pretty for now.
Lobos
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Yosser
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Just watched the race in between my tricep extensions 
That was very impressive.
I have him backed for both and to my eye, looked like he would be more a mid trip horse. Cruised like a dream through the race but i don't think 2 miles will be a problem at his young age and the fact Dan talks about the tried and tested Supreme route in the Tolworth (Formby) rather than the Challow kind of eliminates the Turners unless he gets beaten well, which i doubt looking at the British racing programme. I think he is laying another one out for the Turners.
I will guarantee you one thing. Willie would have been watching that and thinking 'shit, that's a good one'
That was very impressive.I have him backed for both and to my eye, looked like he would be more a mid trip horse. Cruised like a dream through the race but i don't think 2 miles will be a problem at his young age and the fact Dan talks about the tried and tested Supreme route in the Tolworth (Formby) rather than the Challow kind of eliminates the Turners unless he gets beaten well, which i doubt looking at the British racing programme. I think he is laying another one out for the Turners.
I will guarantee you one thing. Willie would have been watching that and thinking 'shit, that's a good one'
Eggs
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…..might be one to watch today (Skelton):
MINELLA MARATHON
“He won a point-to-point in Ireland. He showed a great attitude then and the further he went the better he went. He will go straight over hurdles, but we won’t ask him big questions too soon and we just let him find his feet and look after him.
"I would say he will be a better chaser than a hurdle, but we like what we have seen so far. He is owned by Ronnie Bartlett and that is the first horse he has had with us.”
MINELLA MARATHON
“He won a point-to-point in Ireland. He showed a great attitude then and the further he went the better he went. He will go straight over hurdles, but we won’t ask him big questions too soon and we just let him find his feet and look after him.
"I would say he will be a better chaser than a hurdle, but we like what we have seen so far. He is owned by Ronnie Bartlett and that is the first horse he has had with us.”
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Certainly worth keeping an eye on, though his p2p time was one of the worst on the day (weight adjusted), and he was 5 seconds slower than the first division (With Nolimit - now with Gordon for Gigginstown) off the same weight.
Obviously times don't always tell the full story, nor should they be completely trusted when it comes to the p2p's.
I was tempted by a win today/any race bet, but given the above I wonder if they'll just skip the festival with him, with a view to chasing next season.
Runragged
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There is a bit of the 'here and now' about Myboypaddy. Love Me Tender won a grade 3 easily beating previous winners. Davy Crockett also beat horses with more experience and wins to their name, yet are twice the price and more of MBP for the Supreme. LMT is shorter for the Turners but you still feel Mullins will have a lot more contenders to come. Unless MBP gets beat I don't think he will ever be a price that I would be comfortable backing him at until the day.
Absolutely.
Davy Crockett is only as big as he is because the yard came out and said he picked up an injury, but since then Willie has said he was giving him a break!
I think Love Me Tender will be Turners bound, that's the only race I've backed him for.
Plenty to still come out, as you note.