'Maybe we'll see a different horse' - Dan Skelton hopeful Langer Dan can banish winter blues in Long Distance Hurdle

Dan Skelton is under no illusions the challenge two-time Cheltenham Festival winner Langer Dan faces as he prepares for his seasonal reappearance in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on Friday.

A dual winner of the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, the eight-year-old is entering new territory as he now runs off a career-high rating of 160, but Skelton is ready for the challenge ahead.

Langer Dan is the highest-rated horse running in Friday's contest and is 9-4 joint-favourite with the Olly Murphy-trained Strong Leader, who ended last season by winning the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

Skelton has reported Langer Dan to be in "grand" form and said: "Everyone thinks that all we do is concentrate on the Coral Cup, but in truth he's not as easy a horse in the autumn and winter like he is in the spring. 

"I've done as much work as I can with him and I don't think necessarily the bulk of work we've done is an issue. I think it's just a bit of race sharpness. 

"It's a decent field, but he carries a new number. Last year he was a mid-140s horse, but he goes into this season as a 160-rated horse and it's a different area to where we've been in the past. 

"Maybe that increased performance we've seen means we'll see a different horse. I'm not saying exercise caution, I'm saying historically it's not been as easy in the autumn and winter as it has the spring."

Midnight River: Coral Gold Cup contender for the SkeltonsCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Skelton is expected to fire plenty of arrows across both days of Newbury's meeting, including in Saturday's headline Coral Gold Cup, a race which the trainer landed with Le Milos in 2022.

Galia Des Liteaux and Midnight River were among 16 entries at the five-day confirmation stage for the £250,000 contest on Monday. The former is expected to take her chance with Harry Skelton onboard, but a decision will be made later in the week on the latter's participation.

Grade 2 winner Galia Des Liteaux did hold an entry for a listed mares' chase at Market Rasen on Wednesday, but Skelton believes conditions will favour the eight-year-old at Newbury.

He said: "Going right-handed on a bit of okay ground round Market Rasen is not her cup of tea, although it's probably one of the best mares' chases outside of Cheltenham as there's such depth.

"Three-miles-two on soft ground at Newbury is a lot more like it and she's had a run under her belt, which is important. Le Milos won and it was a great day, although I wouldn't draw any comparisons between the two."

Coral Long Distance Hurdle (3.05 Newbury, Friday)

Coral: 2 Crambo, Strong Leader, 9-4 Langer Dan, 7 Beacon Edge, 8 Monmiral, 9 Kateira, 10 Dashel Drasher, 20 Doyen Quest, 33 Flight Deck, 40 Kerryhill, 50 Zain Nights, 100 The Imposter,

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