Dan Skelton's fast start a statement of intent with the jumps season soon starting to come to life
![Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls: could be title rivals once more](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fprod-media-racingpost%2Fprod%2Fimages%2F169_1008%2Fd23e73803dd5-dan-skelton-paul-nicholls.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
I know what you're going to say. Yes, it's too early to talk about jump racing. After all, the Ebor meeting is still a week away, the St Leger festival is hovering on the horizon and British Champions Day is nothing more than a circled date on a calendar.
You can probably blame Champions: Full Gallop for my renewed focus on jumping. Watching the final three episodes of the ITV docuseries was a sharp reminder of how the closing days of the 2023-24 series were dominated by two fascinating title battles, with jockeys Sean Bowen and Harry Cobden taking their fight down to the wire, and Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton's bid to repel the charge of Willie Mullins failing at the finish line at the season closer at Sandown.
It was on this note that the final episode concluded, with Mullins reflecting on his first British title and Nicholls consoling his former assistant trainer with the promise of "next year". His words may have been spoken in April but next year, in jump racing terms, has already begun and it seems Skelton has taken Nicholls' words to heart.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inAnother View
Last updated
- Shark Hanlon ruling might have divided social media - but legal heavyweights add real substance to these decisions
- Let National Racehorse Week remind us the best could still be to come for former racehorses
- Racehorse ownership comes with responsibility - and it's time we expected more from owners when their horses retire
- No geldings here, please. The Arc is Europe's outstanding race and doesn't need tweaking
- It's not just breeders who are to blame for Europe's middle-distance decline - the handicappers are culpable too
- Shark Hanlon ruling might have divided social media - but legal heavyweights add real substance to these decisions
- Let National Racehorse Week remind us the best could still be to come for former racehorses
- Racehorse ownership comes with responsibility - and it's time we expected more from owners when their horses retire
- No geldings here, please. The Arc is Europe's outstanding race and doesn't need tweaking
- It's not just breeders who are to blame for Europe's middle-distance decline - the handicappers are culpable too