Grand National on the cards again for Le Milos as Dan Skelton eyes big campaign with Coral Gold Cup winner

Dan Skelton still has high aspirations for last year’s Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos and has not ruled out the possibility of returning to Aintree for next year’s Grand National.

The eight-year-old made a winning debut at Bangor for Skelton following his move from Tim Vaughan last autumn, before landing the big race at Newbury in November when defeating Remastered by half a length.

After finishing second at Kelso in March, the son of Shirocco ran a creditable tenth in the Grand National and was the third British-trained runner home. He did, however, experience some minor difficulties following Aintree, but Skelton is leaving the door open for a possible return to the showpiece in April.

He said: "I’ve got ambitious thoughts for him around Christmas and the spring, and I think he’s still a horse we can get a lot out of and do a lot of big stuff with.

"He had a little surgery after the Grand National – he wasn’t lame but he was a bit sore in one knee. We thought we’d check it out and he had a little spur in his knee, which we got out.

"We walked away from the National saying never again, but the water’s now under the bridge and maybe he had an excuse that day. Whilst it’s not plan A, it may come into the high reckoning around Christmas time when we’ve a chase under our belt."

Le Milos will make his seasonal return in the 2m7f handicap hurdle at Market Rasen on Thursday, and Skelton also discussed other possible races for his upcoming campaign.

He said: "He’ll probably build up to the Silver Cup at Ascot. I've entered him in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham, just in case that’s wet and Ascot is dry.

"I like to run them over hurdles after the Grand National, or those who have been over the National fences, because they seem to just respond better. We did it with Ashtown Lad after the Becher and I think you have to be a bit respectful of those fences."

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