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Langer Dan lands Imperial Cup at Sandown

Updated / Saturday, 13 Mar 2021 17:58
Langer Dan won his first two career outings last season, but had been winless in the interim
Langer Dan won his first two career outings last season, but had been winless in the interim

Langer Dan kicked off what could be an excellent few days for Dan and Harry Skelton when cruising to victory in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown.

Once again Dan Skelton proved he is among the best at targeting the big prizes, while his brother Harry is putting up a stern challenge in his quest to be British champion jockey.

With the likes of Roksana, Third Time Lucki, Shan Blue, Nube Negra and Allmankind heading to Cheltenham next week, the Skeltons could have the week of their lives and now Langer Dan is as low as 8-1 for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle – the closing event of the Festival.

His supporters in this race had a brief moment of worry coming out of the back straight when Harry Skelton was short of room and got shuffled to the back of the pack.

However, in a matter of strides he was soon back on the bridle and breezed around the field to challenge Miss Heritage.

By then favourite Natural History had cried enough and 5-1 shot Langer Dan breezed to victory by four lengths from Miss Heritage, with Mack The Man back in third.

Dan Skelton said: "I have got so much admiration for this little horse. Colm (Donlon, owner) bought him last year, as he always likes to have a juvenile.

"When he started this year, we thought he'd be one of those horses who would just have a juvenile season. But he is a credit to himself. He’s so tough and we took the pressure off him after the autumn and he has thrived.

"He’s tiny, but he has a great attitude and he’s all heart. He won a Listed race as a juvenile and we bought him as a foal and I said to Colm one day when he was trotting round as a three-year-old, 'I think we should give you your money back, because he hasn’t grown’.

"But it is not the size of the horse, it is the size of the heart and he is all heart.

"His chances of getting in the Martin Pipe are nil, but if that nil becomes something, he’ll run. And whatever price he is, then he is what he is and his chance will be what it will be. It is hard to turn around quickly at this time of year, but given the prestige, he’ll have to have a go if he gets in."

Beauport (28-1), running in the famous Corbiere colours, ploughed through the mud to win the European Breeders' Fund Paddy Power 'National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final.

Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, the five-year-old appeared to have a bit to find on the form book.

Out the back in the initial stages, Jordan Nailor made a bold move to take up the running early in the straight and it was an advantage he was not to relinquish.

Fancied runners such as Patroclus and Karl Philippe travelled well until the final three furlongs, when it appeared to become very hard work and their efforts soon petered out.

It was left to Dan Skelton’s Riggs to chase home the winner and while he looked a threat at the last, he ended up getting very tired and Beauport won by 11 lengths. Gladiateur Allen was third and Sam Barton was fourth.

Nailor said: "This is my first winner at Sandown and my first Graded or Listed winner as well.

"I rode him in a bumper at Fontwell where he finished fourth and ran really well, then I rode him over hurdles at Southwell and he was third and again he ran well.

"Then I was on him again at Fontwell when he won and did it really nicely over two miles and six furlongs. Then he ran over two miles and three furlongs at Fontwell when he was third and was staying on – he just got done (for toe) a bit.

"But back over two-four today and that climb in that ground, it really helped him.

Kim Bailey appears to hold a strong hand ahead of next week's Cheltenham Festival and advertised the yard’s good form when Flirtatious Girl (13-2) landed a cracking renewal of the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Beaten at Huntingdon on her second start, she looked much more professional this time and sauntered to a two-and-a-quarter-length success over Speech Bubble, with Tweed Skirt a further three and three-quarter lengths back in third.

Bailey said: "She has improved since her last run in December. She is a really good mare and she is so tough.

"I was slightly concerned that the ground might have been too soft for her. She really is unbelievably tough, so to go and do what she did was great. She is not very big, but at the end of the day, she’s done it now.

"She won a Listed race and she’s been placed in Listed company and if she never runs again, she’s worth her weight.

"She is very different to my other winner of the race, Molly’s A Diva (2013), who was a big tank of a horse and as slow as a hearse. This little, tiny thing in comparison is quite quick, but both loved soft ground and hopefully she will go on to better things."

The conditions, testing as they were, got worse ahead of the Listed Paddy’s Rewards Club Novices’ Handicap Chase, which was run in a cloud-burst.

The torrential downpour did not hurt the chances of the mudloving Farinet (13-2), who got off the mark over fences for trainer Venetia Williams with a gutsy display to overhaul Up The Straight after both had made blunders late on.

Winning rider Charlie Deutsch said: "After the last time I rode him at Haydock, I thought this lad would stay really well and I think he’d get three miles.

"I wanted it to be a test, but coming into the last, which I missed, the horse in front had stopped a bit. But to be fair to him, he was very tough to be able to pick up again and run to the line like he did. He’s a very good horse."

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