Dan Skelton fires warning to novice hurdle division after exciting The New Lion extends unbeaten record

Dan Skelton added another exciting name to his already impressive squad when The New Lion extended his unbeaten record in the 2m4½f novice hurdle.

After an eyecatching debut success at Market Rasen in April, the five-year-old scored at Chepstow on his seasonal reappearance last month and the winning sequence continued with a three-length defeat of Califet En Vol, prompting Paddy Power to cut him to 12-1 (from 25) for the Turners Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Skelton is adamant the best is yet to come from The New Lion, who could return to the track for next month’s Challow Hurdle. He said: "We always thought he was very good – today confirms it – but I still think there’s more to come.

"In an ideal world, we can come back here [for the Challow] and it’ll be a hell of a showdown because there are lots of fancied ones coming for it. His name will very much be in the ring. I’m not frightened of running him – the opposition don't frighten me with this horse. He's right up there."

It was the second leg of a double for Skelton as Listentoyourheart produced an explosive performance in the Listed Mares' Novices' Hurdle to ignite talk of Cheltenham in the spring.

The five-year-old, who was trimmed to 16-1 (from 20) with Paddy Power for the Ryanair-sponsored Mares’ Novice Hurdle, completed a hat-trick when powering through a tight gap on the run to the line.

Skelton said: "At the moment she’s going to Cheltenham and it would have to take a lot of talking us out of it to not go there. She’s one of the leaders in the pack of novice mares in Britain. I knew once she got running she was always going to relish the battle."

Navajo Indy could be Betfair Hurdle bound

Navajo Indy (left) on the way to landing the Gerry Feilden for a second course victoryCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Tom Symonds suggested Navajo Indy could head for the Betfair Hurdle after he bolstered his impressive course record with victory in the Gerry Feilden Hurdle.

The five-year-old, whose track form reads 121, rallied late to finish a length and a half clear of Queens Gamble.

The decision to return to Berkshire was an easy one for Symonds, who said: "I thought we had to give him an opportunity on a track that suits him. He won his bumper here and he ran well over hurdles too.

"The Betfair Hurdle is possible, but it might be dry then and the ground is so key to him. I think the horse mentally has come up so much. He settled, which is what I want to see, and he finished like a train."

Double delight for Henderson

Wiseguy (left) gets the better of Imperil at NewburyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Nicky Henderson was delighted to win the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase for the second time in eight years after Wiseguy got his career back on track under James Bowen.

Henderson was wearing a trilby once owned by O'Sullevan and was honoured to raise it in memory of his great friend in the winner's enclosure after a cosy length-and-three-quarter success.

"This is a lovely race to win," said Henderson. "Wiseguy won his first chase down at Exeter last season but at the end of the season his jumping went to pieces. I ended up putting him back over hurdles and he couldn't even jump them. He had back issues and all sorts of things.

"This was an ambitious place to come but he jumped and travelled well today and we've got him back. We'll just creep forward from here."

Henderson and Bowen completed a 59-1 double when Impose Toi shrugged off a 322-day absence to land the 2m4½f handicap hurdle, just moments before Sir Gino took Grade 1 honours at Newcastle for Seven Barrows.

"We ran Impose Toi in the Lanzarote last season and didn't think he stayed but I actually think he wants to go up to three miles now," said Henderson. "He keeps popping up and will stay over hurdles. I did school him over fences and he wasn't the best."

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