Skelton soars to new heights with Protektorat

Harry Skelton consolidated his lead at the top of the David Power Jockeys Cup as Protektorat soared over the Windsor fences to record a brilliant a victory in the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase.
Dan Skelton’s 10-year-old was second to L’Homme Presse in this race last year when it was held at Lingfield, after which he had a highly successful spring when winning the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and finishing third in the Melling Chase at Aintree.
He was second in the Peterborough Chase on his last outing and was sent on his way at 100-30 this time, with his Huntingdon conqueror Djelo the well-backed 5-4 favourite.
Protektorat blazed a trail throughout the two-mile six-furlong event – worth over £85,000 to the winner – and put plenty of daylight between himself and his rivals.
At the business end there was no chance of reeling him back in and he sauntered across the line 23 lengths ahead of his old foe Djelo.
“I haven’t ridden many with the constitution and toughness of him. He went a two-mile gallop, it’s unbelievable. He’s so tough and so brave, he’s the maddest horse I’ve ever ridden. He is crazy, he’ll come out tomorrow and want to go five times around the gallop,” said the winning rider.
“That’s what makes him so good, that will to keep up, he’s relentless and we’re so lucky to have a horse like him.
“He gets beaten and then he just comes back, we’ve had some massive days with him.”
He added: “It’s a massive day for the horse, he always puts his hat in the ring and he’s a heavyweight. We’ll go now to the Ryanair, but we’re not naive enough to think this wasn’t a big day for him.”