Dan Skelton believes The New Lion threw his hat “firmly in the ring” for the Unibet Champion Hurdle with victory at Cheltenham on Saturday. “I don’t think what I saw on Saturday means it is any easier or harder to win a Champion Hurdle, but what I do think is now we’ve had a great preparation for it,” he told the Nick Luck Daily podcast. “There’s more emphasis on speed on the Old course (in the Champion Hurdle) but I think he’s answered the speed question for me. Bear in mind I’ve never won a Champion Hurdle but I feel he’s a faster horse than ever this year and, for me, Champion Hurdles are won through stamina because you have to see it out really well. “Whilst it is no easier or harder to win a Gold Cup - it was always going to be hard - we certainly didn’t leave our Gold Cup there on Saturday.”

Source: Irish Examiner January 26, 2026 20:28 UTC