DAN Skelton has selected The New Lion as his strongest contender of his Cheltenham Festival squad. Speaking at a media visit arranged by The Jockey Club and Cheltenham Racecourse, he went through the team.

He said: “I think we’ve got the best team we’ve ever had but whether that bears out in the results will be a different matter. We’re in a great position and the staff and the owners have put us in the position we are in right now. I think our best chance overall at the Festival is The New Lion.”

Explaining the key to success in terms of training, Skelton went on: “You can’t do it without the horses – you cannot make up quality or ability. What sets Willie (Mullins) apart is talent – his talent and that of his horses. We can all get them fit and Willie’s are super, super fit. It is going to be so hard to surpass Willie while he has the flow of talent that he has.

“Quality is huge but we’re always changing what we do at home as well. We’re never afraid to change things up. We’ve changed facilities, we do things differently to try and get a positive result. Sometimes you get a negative result and you have to go back to where you were but we’re never afraid of failure.”

The New Lion

6yo Kayf Tara - Raitera

This horse’s coat, I have to say, is one of the most forward of all of our horses. I took him to Huntingdon the other day for a canter round and a day out. He walked round the paddock full of exuberance and happiness. I just love to see him looking so well. He’s going to be going on the Wednesday (Turners) unless the ground was very soft or heavy in which case we could switch to the Tuesday (Supreme). I love everything about him. I love his attitude.

We really liked him before he ran in his bumper and obviously we liked him even more after. When we started schooling on the grass in the autumn, he just did some things that other horses couldn’t do at that point. He’s just got it.

Protektorat

10yo Saint Des Saints - Protektion

He will obviously head back for the Ryanair – that is his only entry. I think he has got a great chance. In his early season, he had a lot of weight in the Paddy Power (Chase) and probably needed the run more than I thought.

The end of his season was always going to be better than his start. We were always aiming at Windsor and he did what he did – he looked sensational and the best I have ever seen him.

He heads to Cheltenham an older horse but certainly not a lesser horse. Of course, there are new challengers and we have got challengers from France and Ireland. I wouldn’t say they don’t worry me but with him, he will run his best race. He has never been this well and is a credit to himself and everyone around him to have had him in this shape for so long.

John (Hales) was there when he won at Windsor and that was magic. John loved all his horses whether they were good or bad and never went to the races expecting to lose – it didn’t matter how good or bad the horse was! Every time they turned up he’d say we are going to have a winner!

Take No Chances

7yo Milan - Coscorrig

She is in the Mares’ Hurdle and that is her only entry. The intention is to run. She is not completely ground dependent. If it got very soft I would have to consider it but good to soft, soft in places would be no problem at all. Given her form this season – she has won a listed over two miles and a Grade 2 over two miles, which is highly unpredictable really because in June, I was running her over three miles.

She has grown with confidence and has a great outlook. She’s a beautiful mare – very honest, tries hard, loves jumping and loves racing. She would race every fortnight if you let her. I think she goes to Cheltenham with a great chance.

If the big two turn out we are going to be scrapping it out for minor places but if they don’t and it turns into a bit of a fight, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that she will be there at the business end.

Valgrand

6yo Bathyrhon - Valaway

If you’d said to me at Christmas ‘do you think he’d have much chance in a County Hurdle?’, I’d have said ‘at a push’.

The difference in him since the weather started turning and the days are getting longer… his coat is turning and you can see how bright he is.

Of course, it is a handicap and of course it is going to be hard, but he was very good at Cheltenham at the October meeting in a two-mile graded race when he bolted in. He got put in his place by Potters Charm over two and a half which I don’t think is any disrespect. He then couldn’t carry top weight in bad ground afterwards, when he can’t have been at his best after having those hard races.

If it was a real soft ground Friday I would say we’d be in a spot of bother, but if it dries out I could see him being a contender. I wouldn’t say I’m going all on feel and trust because we have that Grade 2 in the bag when he was very, very impressive but it just feels better and his work is getting better.

He’s not had loads of racing since Christmas and is a fresh horse. If you look at our previous County Hurdle winners, most hadn’t run in that calendar year or very recently, so it is all starting to match up a bit.

L’Eau Du Sud

7yo Lord Du Sud - Eaux Fortes

He has gone chasing this year and hasn’t looked back. He has course form and if it’s soft ground he can get away with it but if it’s better it will suit him better. There is nothing I don’t like about his chances for this race.

I have a lot of respect for Majborough but I really like this horse. I don’t want to go and say I think he’ll win but I think he’ll make it look closer than the prices suggest. He is versatile, has course form, lots of experience and is riding the crest of a wave – there is not much about him I don’t like.

The fact he’s got the experience is a box ticked, it’s more helpful to have it than not. He’s had almost as many runs over fences as Majborough has had in his life. I think it will be a great race so let’s hope they both get there.

Probably the best L’Eau Du Sud was this season was at Cheltenham in November when he got a lead and could quicken off a pace. He looked very, very good that day and it was around the course we are going back to in the Arkle.

Grey Dawning

8yo Flemensfirth - Lady Wagtail

The idea at the moment is to go to Kelso and Aintree. We’re getting to the point now where that’s next week so that is the most likely scenario. I will leave him in the Gold Cup just in case something untoward happens with the opposition. The Gold Cup picture is obviously a little muddy behind the favourite, with the favourite being in there, it’s still super, super hard to win.

He’s in great form and I think he’ll take a lot of beating at Kelso. I think if things go well at Kelso then he’ll turn up at Aintree in the best possible shape. I would imagine that after a Gold Cup 19 days before there’s not going to be many turn up in the shape they need to be in at Aintree.

Langer Dan

9yo Ocovango - What A Fashion

This year has been disastrous and he has been terrible but I did tell everyone that would be highly likely. I think people are now starting to believe there is a lot of truth in what I say because it is what I feel.

He is impossible to train and is not going well at the moment but we just hope that he turns up. In his first Coral Cup we believed it was possible and then in his second Coral Cup, the closer we got to the day, the more I believed it was possible and probable, although realistically it was still on trust.

He’ll be running in the Stayers’ Hurdle, I’m sure, because he can’t give away all that weight in the Coral Cup. We go there on trust.

Unexpected Party

10yo Martaline - Reform Act

He goes for the Grand Annual. Obviously he won the race last year and looks great. He got back to a bit of form the last day when he was second at Windsor. It was a much better run and something we needed.

He is working really well now and I think goes there with an each-way chance. It will harder this year off a higher mark. Everything went right for him last year and I thought afterwards how it will it ever go so right again? It needs to go right again a year later off of a 6lb higher mark. It is not going to be easy but the fire is certainly starting to burn.

Fortune De Mer

5yo Doyen - Creation

He will be overlooked (in the bumper) after he was fourth at Huntingdon but if you watch the race back he didn’t stop pulling until he turned in. He’s a bit too keen and full of his own ideas. He needed a run as I couldn’t trust him to go straight to Cheltenham. I would normally go straight to Cheltenham with a horse like that – fresh. He has won at Cheltenham and looked very good. I give him an each-way chance.