Victtorino continued his love affair with Ascot when courageously shading a thrilling finish to the Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase and bagging another 10 points for Charlie Deutsch in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup.

The Venetia Williams-trained seven-year-old was pushed all the way up the run-in by top-weight Threeunderthrufive, with both horses taking it in turn to bob their heads in front.

However, it was Victtorino who put his head down when it mattered most and the 7-2 winner was a nose ahead on the line under Charlie Deutsch, giving him a fourth win at Ascot from five visits.

Charlie Deutsch and Venetia Williams in the winner’s enclosure at Ascot (Focus On Racing)

Williams said: “It was a strong pace on loose ground, but I didn’t think it was too testing. I thought we would get outsprinted, and that we were beaten. I didn’t know he had won and we were yelling our heads off.

“We will take it one race at a time, but with his good record round here, we just might keep coming back.”

Altobelli turned what looked a competitive Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle into a procession down the home straight.

Successful in a course and distance contest four weeks earlier, Harry Fry’s charge was sent off the 11-4 favourite for this event over two miles and three furlongs and cruised to the front under Bryan Carver between the final two flights.

Despite wandering around a touch once clear, Altobelli was still three and three-quarter lengths ahead at the line.

Fry said: “He loves it here and it’s a shame we don’t have a festival here in four weeks.

“He was 5lb higher, but looked even more impressive today. He’s relished the step up in trip. It will be exciting to see where he ends up and he’s three from three at this distance.

“He’ll be entered in the Coral Cup and we’ll take it from there. I’m looking forward to putting him over fences next season.”

Also celebrating a Jockeys’ Cup winner was Ben Jones, who  conjured up a powerful late surge from Samuel Spade in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle, with Ben Pauling’s charge making light of his 12st burden to prevail by four and three-quarter lengths at 14-1.

Pauling said: “That was a good ride. He’s a bit of an enigma because when he’s good, he’s good, but when he doesn’t want it, he just won’t go.

“Today, Ben pinched yards and picked up ground at most of the hurdles, he was very good.

“He’s the type of horse that could go to Punchestown, as he’s not good enough to win the Coral Cup.”

The O’Neill name is well-known in the world of racing, with Jonjo O’Neill becoming a household name thanks to his efforts in the saddle in the 1970s and 1980s.

However, having built up his Jackdaws Castle stables in the Cotswolds since retiring from riding, O’Neill Sr has seen his sons AJ and Jonjo Jr become an integral part of the family’s training setup.

Successful amateur rider AJ joined his father on the licence in April 2024, and it’s a move that has paid off according to AJ’s brother Jonjo who told Sporting Life in the second of their David Power Jockeys’ Cup podcast series: “It’s great because Dad’s got all the experience in the world and we’ve got some new ideas and Dad’s very willing to try them.

“I think it’s definitely brought a new dimension in.  It’s another pair of eyes and ears and because we’re all family as well, we’re all singing off the same hymn sheet.

“So, it’s not really like a job for any of us. It’s just a way of life – we’re very lucky.”

With the closeness that comes with family working together also bringing its challenges, O’Neill explains that there is only one boss at Jackdaws Castle.

He added: “We all have our fair share of moments, to be honest, but mum (Jacqui) is the boss.

“She’s a massive part of it, especially on the business side with the owners – she’s absolutely brilliant.”

O’Neill – who picked up 10 points in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup when riding Springwell Bay to win the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day – acknowledges the example of his father’s work ethic as key to his own early success in the saddle, but is also well aware of the hard graft put in by others at the yard.

Crediting Alan Berry and Jonny Kavanagh in particular, O’Neill explained: “We’re very lucky we’ve got some experienced members of staff that could probably train in their own right.

“So, to have them in the yard, when you’re racing or at the sales having busy days, you just know that the yard’s going to run like clockwork.

“Those sorts of people are very hard to find now.”

Harry Skelton is confident that targeting the most winnable races with his brother Dan’s stable stars will lead to a good second half of the 2024/25 season – and help him land the top prize of £500,000 in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup.

Skelton, who tops the leaderboard on 232 points – 28 clear of second-placed Sam Twiston-Davies – with 10 weeks of the competition to run, explained that picking the right opportunities will prove crucial over the coming months.

He told Sporting Life in the first of their David Power Jockeys’ Cup podcast series: “Grey Dawning will probably head to Kelso for the Premier Chase and then onto Aintree for the Bowl.

“His owner wants to run him the race that we think he is most likely to win.

“Tom Messenger, our assistant who has a big role to play in the operation, he rides him every day, he knows the horse inside out, and we just feel that the best chance we have is at Aintree.

“He had a hard enough race on very testing ground in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and then it was all over very quickly in the King George.

“If that had gone differently, we might have carried on with the Gold Cup dream, but unfortunately this year we won’t be.”

Similarly, Country Mile, an impressive winner at Cheltenham in December, will likely head to Scotland next rather than join stablemate Valgrand in the County Hurdle.

“Country Mile – you can put a line through his last run as he ran him too quickly on poor ground – might head to Kelso for the Premier Hurdle and then to Aintree, like Grey Dawning.”

However, the Skeltons will still head to the Cheltenham Festival with a strong team, hoping to build on their best-ever tally of four winners which they picked up 12 months ago. The yard is currently leading the Trainers’ Championship thanks to over 130 winners and more than £2million in prize money.

Skelton explained that reigning Ryanair champion Protektorat will head straight to the Festival – ‘he’s come out of Windsor really well’ – and will be joined by leading Arkle hope L’Eau du Sud, another horse who includes Sir Alex Ferguson amongst his owners.

Unbeaten in three starts over fences, L’Eau du Sud was an impressive winner of the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase when last seen at the start of December.

Skelton said: “L’Eau du Sud will run in the Kingmaker at Warwick and then onto the Arkle.

“Sir Gino and many others will make sure that it won’t be as easy as when he won at Cheltenham in November but he’s the best we have and hopefully he will have a chance.

“Even if we are second to Sir Gino then I’ll pick up 10 points in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup and all the points are welcomed!”

On their team of handicappers, Skelton also provided positive updates on Unexpected Party, who will head back to the Grand Annual that he won 12 months ago, and Be Aware who will step back up in distance in the Coral Cup.

“Be Aware will go straight to the Coral Cup. I think he’s got a big chance stepping back up in trip,” said Skelton.

“We’ve kept him at two miles this year as he’s a bit headstrong and can be a bit keen and he didn’t have much experience.

“He’s the type of horse who could blow his race if getting a bump, he’s quite highly-strung. But hopefully now he’s learnt a bit more and I think he will go well.”

Although much of the focus on the David Power Jockeys’ Cup has been on the life-changing top prize of £500,000 awarded to the leading rider at the end of Aintree’s Grand National meeting, the impact on younger, less experienced riders will be felt just as much.

That’s the view of the 2020/21 Champion Jockey Harry Skelton, who leads the current Jockeys’ Cup standings with 232 points, and is full of praise for a competition that has made him reflect on his own beginnings in the sport.

The leading conditional jockey receives £25,000, with the runner-up picking up £5,000, and, as with the main prize fund, the trainer and stable staff also receive an additional 10%.

Skelton told Sporting Life in the first of their David Power Jockeys’ Cup podcast series: “When you’re young and coming through, that’s massive money and it will be a big boost for whoever wins.

“It’s prize money that wasn’t in the sport at this time last year – it’s a completely separate pot of money that’s come into racing.”

Dylan Johnston – whose highest-profile win this season came on Lump Sum in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las – may be chasing Freddie Gingell in the Conditional Jockeys’ Championship, but he currently leads him by 12 points in the Jockeys’ Cup standings.

Young Irish jockey Johnston finished fourth on his first ride as a conditional in a Thurles bumper in 2018, and credits Stuart Crawford for the experience he gave him in points and under rules, and Skelton believes that improving the point-to-point and amateur riding scene in Britain is crucial to the future of horse racing.

Skelton remembers: “I rode my claim out quick and I was with Paul Nicholls, but [after that] I had one season with eight winners. I wasn’t really ready. I never thought about stopping but I had to keep going, as I’d ridden out my claim and had no experience against older jockeys.

“You have to get that good foundation first. I think it’s a good idea to stay amateur and ride in point-to-points for as long as you can before you’re ready to go and ride on the track.

“We really need to support the point-to-points – I think that’s the big difference between England and Ireland – and we’ve bought some lovely young horses from the likes of Charlie Poste, Tom Ellis and John Dawson.

“People don’t always like change but it’s really important to give young riders a chance on quality horses, which is what we’ve been trying to do with some of our older horses.”

Though thankful for the leg up he received thanks to an illustrious father – then-58-year-old Nick Skelton became the oldest British Olympian gold medalist in 2016 – Harry recalls the hard work of his formative years.

He explained: “I went into racing when I was 16, riding out at Reg Hollinshead’s, and when Dad broke his neck in 2000 that’s when Dan and I decided to go into racing properly.

“Dad and my grandad – who is 94 – are our biggest critics which isn’t exactly what you want to hear when you’ve not given one the greatest ride!

“All I ever wanted to be was Champion Jockey. Luckily it happened and I’m in with a chance of it again this year.”

Pub lunch to celebrate a winner

There was no let up on the weather front last weekend. Kempton on Saturday was called off and I had to detour to Ffos Las where I picked up a couple of rides. I did leave with a win and a second, though, so it wasn’t a disaster by any means.

No racing on Sunday meant I got to spend the day at the Farmer’s Dog, Jeremy Clarkson’s new pub. I’m a big fan of the show so it was great to get down there with my partner and her two brothers for a Sunday lunch. I’m no food critic but the meal was very good. I think Jeremy is actually involved with a horse called The Hawkstonian trained by Ben Pauling and I think it’s great to have characters like him getting involved the sport. Apart from that I’ve been a lot busier riding out this week as the weather has mellowed and horses are getting back into their routine. On that note, I’m at Ascot on Saturday for a great day’s racing highlighted by the Clarence House Chase and then on to Windsor for the final day of the Berkshire Winter Millions meeting.

My Ascot rides in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup

In the 2m5f chase (2.15) I ride Terresita and will be hoping to pick up some Jockeys’ Cup points. She’s running off a career-high mark in this after finishing third around here last time. It was a really good race, but things just happened a bit quick for her that day. She didn’t mind the track at all though, and the ground should be a bit slower for her here which I think she’ll appreciate. Before that run she won a Listed race and I think she’ll have every chance.

Laurens Bay (4.02) is a really nice, big, scopey horse and I’m happy to be riding him for Jamie Snowden. He’s taken a bit of time to get ready and he can be quite workmanlike, but 2m5f around here should suit him. It’s not a big field, and that shouldn’t matter to him, but he is a progressive horse and hopefully he can back up his win from last time in this.

And on to Windsor on Sunday…

Guard Duty (1.20) is a horse that I probably should have won on in his last race when he finished second at Lingfield. I felt like I was on the best horse in the race on that occasion and it’s never ideal when you don’t win and you feel like that, but hopefully knowing him a bit more now, I can go one better and get the result in this.

Git Maker (2.30) has been off the track since April of last year when he was third in the Scottish Grand National and before that finished second at the Cheltenham Festival. He ran a massive race in the former and I was really pleased with him. Coming back to hurdles in this I’d imagine he’s a horse that will need the run, but I’m hoping he can run a respectable race.

I ride Animal (3.40) in the Fitzdares Winter Stayers’ Handicap Chase over an extended three and a half miles. The plan was originally to run in the Sussex Grand National earlier this month but unfortunately that meeting fell to the weather. I think he might just suit this track, and if the field end up going quite quickly (which I think they will do) then it should suit him as he’s a hold up horse and can pick up the pieces. He’s still off a winnable mark so hopefully he can go well.

Finally, I ride One Knight (4.10) who won a bumper at a big price but his odds will be shorter here now that he has shown we can go. He’s a nicely bred horse and I actually won on his mother in a Listed race some seven years ago! It’s great to be back in the colours of Paul Jacobs, but I think the horse to beat in this will be El Cairos for Gary and Josh Moore who showed a lot of speed and class when winning at Newbury.

Harry Fry was delighted and relieved in equal measure after seeing stable star Gidleigh Park get his season back on track with a front-running victory in the Fitzdares Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor.

However, despite having to settle for second place aboard Caldwell Potter, it was also good news for jockey Harry Cobden as two runner-up finishes saw him move into second place in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup standings.

Always held in the highest regard by his trainer, Gidleigh Park won a Chepstow bumper and his first three starts over hurdles before finishing sixth in the Albert Bartlett at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.

He was an odds-on favourite to make a successful switch to chasing at Kempton in November, but was pulled up after jumping five fences and was later found to be suffering from a fibrillating heart.

As a result, Gidleigh Park lined up in this Grade Two contest as a 15-2 outsider of four under Bryan Carver, but it was clear from an early stage he was enjoying the task, as he set a strong gallop from flag-fall that only 4-6 favourite Caldwell Potter was able to live with.

Grade One-winning hurdler Caldwell Potter, a €740,000 purchase on behalf of an ownership group that includes Sir Alex Ferguson, loomed up looking a big danger early in the home straight, but Gidleigh Park kept galloping out in front and was well on top as he passed the post with four lengths in hand.

At the end of the first day of the Winter Millions Meeting, Harry Skelton tops the leaderboard with 194 points, but a pair of runner-up finishes for Cobden was enough to see him move into second place on 170, just ahead of Nico de Boinville on 168.

The David Power Jockeys’ Cup moves – somewhat unexpectedly – to West Wales on Saturday with Ffos Las playing host to four races in which points are up for grabs. Great British Racing caught up with Gavin Sheehan to find out how he’s been battling the freezing temperatures…

The cold snap over the past week has affected everyone and racing has found itself in some tricky situations over the last-minute abandonments at different meetings. I was victim to one of these when I made my way up to Musselburgh last Friday for the fixture to be called off just minutes before the first.

I had flown in that morning and I when I arrived at the track I could have told you there was no way racing was going ahead. So I had to wait for my return flight and head back down south which was not ideal. Still, I’m one to look on the bright side of these things and over the past week I’ve got to spend a lot of time with my family that I wouldn’t usually be able to, and the one bit of racing we’ve had at Taunton [Wednesday] was fruitful for me with a win and a second from my two rides.

As well as spending time at home with the family I’ve been keeping my competitive juices flowing by taking on Daryl Jacob and David Crosse at crazy golf and laser tag. Daryl has obviously been playing a lot of crazy golf since his retirement a couple of weeks ago as he won our competition!

I’m a big fan of golf so while it was a shame the weather meant I couldn’t get a round in this week, I was able to go to the Toptracer driving range in Swindon and then enjoy a game of padel. I now get the hype around padel, and I’ll be using it to keep up my fitness as it sure gives you a workout – I can still feel it now…

I think everyone’s keen for us to get some racing in as soon as possible so we can resume the David Power Jockeys’ Cup as we’re all missing out on potential points, and you never know how tight things may get towards the end when we finish up at Aintree.

My strategy is just get as many rides as possible in the ITV Racing window and nick points wherever I can. Ultimately, I think it’s Harry Skelton’s for the taking – he has such a strong hand with the ammunition they have in Dan’s [Skelton] yard this season and he is obviously gunning for the Champion Trainer title. As I said before, I’d be delighted to be in the top ten when we near the end of the competition, but who knows what could happen. It is racing, after all.

It was disappointing to lose Kempton’s scheduled meeting for Saturday as I was really looking forward to the ride on Navajo Indy. He’s an improving horse and I think he’s one to follow.

Thankfully I’ve picked up a couple of rides on Up For Parol and Getaway With You in Jockeys’ Cup races at Ffos Las – here’s hoping the meeting beats the morning inspection and we get some jumps racing in.