High praise for Precious Man after Kempton triumph

Dan Skelton lauded Precious Man as the quickest juvenile he has trained after the exciting prospect booked a return ticket to Kempton in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Juvenile Hurdle.

A well-regarded winner in France, the youngster paid the price for being too keen on his British bow at Cheltenham in November but the 4-11 favourite cut a much more professional image this time around as he sauntered into contention under the trainer’s brother Harry, jumping with real snap.

He was travelling stylishly when likely rival and Harry Derham’s 7-2 second favourite Wertpol took a heavy fall at the last and after coasting home to a four-and-a-quarter-length success, both trainer and jockey were delighted to see their charge open his UK account.

The Lodge Hill handler is now eyeing a move up in grade for the Ladrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle back at Kempton on February 21, before a trip to Merseyside for Grade One action in the spring.

Skelton said: “I learned a lot about him and he learned a lot at Cheltenham when he was too keen and that was just because he is young and inexperienced.

“Also at that age we don’t like to be too hard on them and we probably had him way too fresh and we’ve done a lot more with him the last 10 days building up to this race, so we have just taken that bit of fizz out him which I think has obviously been the difference today.

“He was nice and relaxed and travelled and settled a lot better and we’re glad to see him do that. His jumping is very fast and Harry holds him into the bottom of every hurdle trying to teach him to jump a hurdle as best he can. He may jump a fence one day but we’re not going to be going down that route and we want to make him the best hurdler we can and I think that will keep getting better and better.

“He’s as fast a juvenile I’ve had since Allmankind and he was only fast as he insisted he was fast, whereas this one is naturally very pacey.

“He will come back here for the Adonis and then I imagine go to Aintree as that will be more his cup of tea.”

Precious Man is the second talented juvenile Skelton has seen win at Kempton in recent weeks after Triumph Hurdle hope Maestro Conti’s triumph at the Sunbury track over the Christmas period.

When asked how they compare, he added: “In terms of ability I think they are fairly well matched but Maestro Conti is probably more of a stamina type horse and this one is all speed.

“We’re quite lucky that we’re not going to have to bump into each other with them as they are very different animals.

“Maestro Conti I think would be the one who is more of a long-term chasing prospect.”

It was also the Skelton’s team’s first winner for leading owner Johnny de la Hay, who both brothers know well from their time with Paul Nicholls, with Harry in the plate aboard their first-ever winner in the ownership ranks back in January 2011.

“It’s our first winner for Johnny and funnily enough Harry rode their first ever winner at Hereford many years ago called Minella Stars,” said Skelton.

“It’s a nice little circle completed there and I was assistant with Paul at the time.”