Dan Skelton Profile

As the son of former Olympic gold medalist Nick Skelton and the older brother of champion jockey Harry Skelton, Dan Skelton is part of an esteemed family within the horse racing community.

Harry has ridden numerous winners for Dan in the past, most recently both Live Conti and West To The Bridge at Wetherby on 12th February.

Skelton spent nine years under the tutelage of Paul Nicholls, the legendary trainer with 48 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, before branching off in 2013 and subsequently training some of the best National Hunt horses in the business.

Dan Skelton Record and Previous Winners

Even though his stables have been around for over a decade, Dan Skelton still feels like a newbie to the horse training world in comparison to the likes of Willie Mullins.

However, he has seen his fair share of success in such a short time.

Skelton has already trained 11 winners at Cheltenham in nine years, overseeing his most fruitful year yet in 2024 with five winners.

He has also secured major wins across the British racing circuit, including:

• Henry VIII’s Novices’ Chase – Allmankind (2020)
• Finale Juvenile Hurdle – Allmankind (2019)
• Mersey Novices’ Hurdle – My Drogo (2021)
• Manifesto Novices’ Chase – Protektorat (2021)
• Kauto Star Novices’ Hurdle – Shan Blue (2020)

Dan Skelton Cheltenham Record

Since setting up his own stables in 2013, Skelton has achieved a total of 11 victories at the Cheltenham Festival.

Five of those eleven wins came in 2024 with Skelton enjoying his most successful festival as a trainer to date.

The majority of these wins at the greatest show on turf have come in the County Handicap Hurdle with four, meaning he sits behind only the festival’s most successful trainer Willie Mullins (seven).

Here are some of Dan Skelton’s Cheltenham winners:

• Superb Story (2016), Mohaayed (2018), Ch'tibello (2019) and Faivoir (2023) have all won the County Hurdle for Skelton
• Roksana raced her way to a win in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle in 2019 – Skelton’s first victory outside the County Hurdle
• In 2023, Langer Dan was first past the posts in the Coral Cup before retaining his title in 2024
• Skelton oversaw four other winners at the 2024 festival, including Unexpected Party in the Grand Annual Chase and Jasmin De Vaux in the Champion Bumper

Recent Dan Skelton Winners

Plenty of Skelton’s horses have been in action ahead of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival gets under starting orders.

L’Eau du Sud, a contender for the Arkle on the first day of Cheltenham, impressed in the Novices’ Chase at Warwick in February and is now four from four in his chase career.

Protektorat, last year’s Ryanair Chase winner, is returning this year but is viewed as an outsider with Fact To File and Spillane’s Tower emerging as early favourites.

However, a 23-length victory in the Fleur De Lys Chase back in January has propelled the Sir Alex Ferguson-owned horse back into contention.

Dan Skelton in Numbers

• 4 – Skelton has trained four winners of the County Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham: Superb Story (2016), Mohaayed (2018), Ch'tibello (2019), Faivoir (2023)
• 5 – 2024 was Skelton’s most successful year at the Cheltenham Festival training five winners across the four days.
• 18 – Skelton’s horses have won 18% of hurdle and chase races between April 2020 - February 2025
• 100 – Between October 2024 and February 2025 L’eau du Sud, who will run in the Arkle, won 100% of his races
• 202 – 2018/19 was the most successful season of Skelton’s career to date with 202 winners

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