Protektorat set to give Premier racing an early boost at Lingfield - but surprise Cheltenham bid could come first

One of the sport's first Premier racing fixtures next month has received a major boost with trainer Dan Skelton ruling out Grade 1 options over Christmas to send Protektorat to the Fleur de Lys Chase at Lingfield.

However, last year's Betfair Chase winner could be seen again as soon as this weekend after being entered in the 3m2f handicap chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Protektorat, who last ran in handicap company when finishing second in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, trailed home last of the four runners in his repeat bid at Haydock last month and has been ruled out of the Grade 1 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton and Savills Chase at Leopardstown this month.

Instead, Skelton has set his sights primarily on the £165,000 feature race on the final day of Lingfield's three-day Winter Million meeting, which takes place from January 19-21. 

The meeting's two jumps fixtures on the Friday and Sunday – the day of the Fleur de Lys – have been designated Premier status, among a total of 170 such meetings in 2024. It is understood they will be shown on ITV3, while the track's meeting on Saturday, which is designated as a morning fixture, will form part of ITV Racing's Opening Show.  

With concerns raised about the lack of a marketing budget to promote racing's new venture, the presence of the 165-rated Protektorat at Lingfield would be welcomed by course officials.

That engagement could come via a stop-off at Cheltenham, but Skelton is not fully committed to any plan yet. He said: "I'll have a think about where we might go and what we might do with Protektorat, but he'll definitely go for the Winter Million, it's whether we get a race in between.

"He's 100 per cent not going to Kempton and I took him out of the Savills Chase because I don't want to go and take them [Irish horses] on. We've got an open book now, the pressure is off. We had a big plan and it didn't come off and we'll re-plan what we're going to do."

Protektorat, also a Grade 1 winner as a novice, enjoyed his career highlight just over 12 months ago when winning the Betfair Chase by 11 lengths.

The eight-year-old, owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason and John and Lisa Hales, was sent off at 5-2 to successfully defend his crown at Haydock, but never recovered from a slow start and finished nearly 30 lengths behind winner Royale Pagaille. 

Dan Skelton: "We've got an open book now, the pressure is off"Credit: Dan Mullan

"He's come out the race fine, he never gave himself a race," said Skelton. "He put in a big lurching jump at the first and landed a bit stunted and that was it for me, I knew after the first we were in trouble."

Protektorat contested the last two runnings of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, finishing fifth last season and third in 2022.

Skelton also pinpointed the Winter Million meeting for Pembroke following his victory in the 2m4f beginners' chase at Aintree on Saturday.

Lingfield's big meeting, where more than £1 million in prize-money is on offer, was staged for the first time in 2022, but only the all-weather fixture on the Saturday went ahead last season with the jumps course frozen. 

Read these next:

Who remains in contention for the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday? 

What's on this week: December Gold Cup and Hermes Allen the highlights as Cheltenham hosts two-day meeting 

Training is becoming something of a lost art - but it was shown in abundance by Nicky Henderson and Hughie Morrison

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.