Dan Skelton will get 'no greater pleasure' than helping brother Harry to title

The gap remains three after Harry Skelton matched Brian Hughes with a double on Tuesday, but his brother Dan says he will get no greater pleasure if he is able to fulfil the rider’s dream of a first championship.

Hughes leads the way on 129 winners but Skelton has registered four-timers at Southwell, Hereford and Stratford recently to move firmly into contention and was shortened to 4-6 favourite (from 4-5) with Betfair Sportsbook to land the title with 25 days to go. Hughes is 11-10 with the same firm and Harry Cobden – 12 behind Hughes – is priced at 16-1.

Skelton – top jockey at Warwick for the last three seasons – steered the John Reilly-owned Stylish Dancer to victory in the 3m mares’ novice handicap chase before winning the feature 2m handicap chase on King D’Argent, who is 3-4 over fences and owned by Andrew Dick and John Stevenson.

Dan Skelton said: “It’s great fun and Harry is looking at it with excitement and thrill as he’s always wanted to be champion jockey. The first part is challenging for the title and the second part is winning it, but if you don’t embrace the first part you’re not going to do the second.

“We’re planning and trying to think outside the box, but it’s going to be hard and very tight. I expect it will go down to the wire.

“It’s bread and butter for Brian to get five, six or seven rides each day – he has a phenomenal number of rides and a great number of winners – but good competition creates good winners and the two Harrys and Brian are creating something quite exciting.

“I saw Harry was made favourite yesterday, but Brian is in front, the place everyone wants to be, and has the advantage. As a brother, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to get Harry across the line.”

Taking aim

Jockey Jonathan Burke moved closer to a career-best season and spoke glowingly of Java Point’s prospects over fences after striking in the 2m5f maiden hurdle.

The Kim Bailey-trained favourite, whose connections celebrated victory with Singlefarmpayment at Ascot on Sunday, took Burke’s tally to 40 for the campaign, including seven winners from his last 23 rides, and he is just five short of his best season in 2018-19.

Burke said: “I’ve had a good few days recently and I’d love to hit the half century. Java Point has all the attributes to make a very good staying chaser. He’s mixed it in some good races over hurdles.”

Day to remember

Lifelong horsewoman Rosemary Gasson started training point-to-pointers in the 1970s before taking out a permit and enjoyed a memorable result when saddling her first bumper winner with the Ben Poste-ridden Sidewaysinmilan.

Gasson, who has eight horses in training, said: "We're not bumper people – it's all about chasing for us – but that was fantastic and I'm amazed. We're a very small outfit and do it for ourselves – we call it a hobby, but it's all consuming."

Results and analysis

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