Carlenrig takes narrow Cheltenham verdict for Skelton team

Dan Skelton landed his customary Saturday winner when Carlenrig took the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in a driving finish.

Three held a chance over the last with Conman John’s 3lb penalty just finding him out in the final 100 yards, leaving Carlenrig (4-1) and the lunging They Call Me Hugo to contest a photograph.

As has happened so often this season, it was Dan and Harry Skelton who came out on top, this time by a short-head, adding another £47,000 to the stable’s prize-money haul for the term so far.

“I found it hard to split my two but the race wasn’t run to suit Big Cadillac (sixth),” said Dan Skelton.

“Carlenrig needed his race at Chepstow. He has a bit of pace which was necessary today because it became a tactical affair, but we had the rail to race against.

“I bought him from an English point-to-point and I’m pleased I wasn’t temped to run him in a bumper.

“He will have one stop between today and the Albert Bartlett.”

The Skelton team of Dan and Harry also took the Download The BetMGM App Mares’ Handicap Hurdle with 13-2 chance Nurse Susan.

David’s Well continued his progression with a gutsy success in the Read Meg Nicholls’ Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap Chase .

Chris Gordon’s six-year-old had won his previous three races but was facing his stiffest task to date against some classy operators, none better than top weight JPR One.

It was those two who settled down to battle it out over the last but Harry Cobden got a good leap out of David’s Well at the last and the 6-4 favourite held on to win by half a length.

Gordon’s wife, Jenny, said: “He spooks at everything at home and we have to keep the lid on him but he’s better on the racecourse, and he’s progressive.

“He’s a lovely horse that has done nothing wrong, but you have to take your hat off to JPR One trying to give him two stone in weight.”

Charlie Deutsch excelled on Zertakt who won for the first time over fences in the Michael Eakins Senior Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Coming down the hill for the final time Venetia Williams’ Zertakt (7-1) still had many lengths to find as Holokea took over in front.

Down in trip having been caught close home over three-and-three-quarter miles at Newcastle last time out, he powered up the hill and got there by a neck.

“It was lovely to see him run that way it was a little bit like L’Homme Presse yesterday,” said Williams.

“The aim was to give him the experience because the long-term the plan is to bring him back here in March for the three-mile-six (National Hunt) chase.”

Former champion jockey Richard Johnson celebrated his first Cheltenham winner as a syndicate manager in November and he did not have to wait long for another as Party Vibes (12-1) came out on top in a blanket finish to the Quintessentially Mares’ Handicap Chase under Sam Twiston-Davies.

Winning trainer Henry Daly said: “She’s just tough and likes being a racehorse. You ask her to gallop and she gallops, you ask her to jump and she jumps.

“At the second last I thought she was going to finish fifth.”