Skelton to take time in plotting The New Lion route

The New Lion has emerged from his Newcastle tumble with a clean bill of health but Dan Skelton is in no rush to map out a plan.

Despite losing his unbeaten record with his Fighting Fifth fall last Saturday, Skelton felt the six-year-old had answered any queries about his ability to make a mark in the two-mile hurdle division.

“He’s fine, which is remarkable really because I expected him to be stiff and sore but he’s not at all,” said Skelton.

“We’re letting the dust settle before we make any plans, but what I was very happy with was the speed he showed around a tight track, two miles is absolutely fine for him.

“That was the biggest question to answer. It’s frustrating to end up on the floor and not win etc, but one of the questions we went there to find out was is this horse a two-miler and I think he answered that pretty conclusively.

“We’re happy with that bit, (but) sometimes lessons have to be learned. He got away with it (jumping low) at Cheltenham at the last (in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle), if you watch the second last he was even lower that day so he’s got that bravery in him which is borderline to what happened on Saturday.

“Hopefully he’s a thinker. Two-milers have to live on the limit because they are going that fast and there’s the wrong side of the limit, which unfortunately he was on.

“You have to learn lessons and they come to you in all different guises and hopefully he’s a thinker.”