Putting together my list of Dan Skelton horses to follow 2026/27 should have been straightforward. He has just become champion trainer, broken the £5 million prize-money barrier and somehow managed to train a winner at every British jumps racecourse during the same season. You could throw ten darts at his stable list and still land on several interesting horses.
The difficulty is deciding what “interesting” actually means. This is not simply a ranking of the ten highest-rated horses in Dan Skelton’s stable. I wanted established Grade 1 performers, novice chase prospects, young hurdlers and one or two names capable of making us feel unusually clever if things go well.
These are my personal selections rather than ten instructions to back them blindly. You may prefer Doyen Quest, Live Conti, Kaiser Ball or one of the expensive point-to-point recruits waiting in the wings. If so, tell me in the comments. Half the fun of a horses-to-follow list is discovering in April that someone in the comment section knew far more than the person who wrote it.
| Horse | What makes him or her interesting | My ideal scenario |
|---|---|---|
| The New Lion | Grade 1 ability and an unresolved distance question | Finding his best trip and winning another major hurdle |
| Grey Dawning | Betfair Chase and Melling Chase winner | Starting in the Betfair Chase |
| Mydaddypaddy | Supreme third with further improvement likely | Developing into a genuine Champion Hurdle contender |
| L’Eau Du Sud | Shloer winner and Champion Chase third | A carefully managed campaign ending in Grade 1 success |
| Kabral Du Mathan | Relkeel winner with plenty of pace at intermediate trips | Making a successful switch to fences over two and a half miles |
| Maestro Conti | Triumph Hurdle runner-up with plenty of natural ability | Making a successful transition out of juvenile company |
| Forthfactor | Impressive Grade 2 bumper winner at Aintree | Becoming one of Britain’s leading novice hurdlers |
| Push The Limit | 103-rated Flat recruit bought for 580,000gns | Transferring his Flat ability to hurdles |
| Mr Hope Street | Progressive staying chaser and Aintree winner | Developing into a Grand National contender |
| Panic Attack | Winner of two of Britain’s biggest handicap chases | One more productive campaign at the age of eleven |
1. The New Lion: Dan Skelton’s Hurdling Star for 2026/27
The New Lion was already included in my overall National Hunt horses to follow, but leaving him out here would be like discussing a pub’s best drinks and quietly ignoring the beer.
His 2025/26 campaign began with a fall in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. That was his first blemish over obstacles, although he had shown enough speed before coming down to keep the Champion Hurdle conversation alive. He then won the International Hurdle at Cheltenham before finishing third behind Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead in the Champion Hurdle.
A return to two and a half miles produced another good run in the Aintree Hurdle. He finished two and a quarter lengths behind Brighterdaysahead after making a mistake at the final flight.
The fascinating part is what happens next. He is quick enough to compete over two miles but appears comfortable over further, and three miles has entered the discussion. I would like to see him tested at that distance before anyone orders the Stayers’ Hurdle scarves. If he stays, Skelton may have another championship contender. If he does not, at least one question disappears.
2. Grey Dawning: Betfair Chase Target for 2026/27
Grey Dawning’s fourth place in the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup should not hide how good his season was.
He began by winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock, giving Skelton one of the victories that powered his championship challenge. A deliberately low-key third in the Cotswold Chase followed before Grey Dawning took his chance in a strong Gold Cup. Two mistakes down the back straight hurt him, but he kept going to finish fourth behind Gaelic Warrior.
Then came Aintree. Dropped back to two and a half miles, he defeated Solness by a neck in a thrilling Melling Chase and collected his second Grade 1 of the campaign.
That performance leaves Skelton with plenty of options, but one of them has now been ruled out. Despite finishing fourth at Cheltenham, Grey Dawning will not return for another Gold Cup attempt. Skelton has confirmed that he will begin his 2026/27 campaign in the Betfair Chase, but made it clear that this is not the beginning of another road towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
That makes his campaign even more interesting. Grey Dawning stays well enough to win at Haydock but also has the pace to take a Melling Chase over two and a half miles. The challenge now is finding the Grade 1 programme that makes the best use of that versatility.
3. Mydaddypaddy: Champion Hurdle Target for 2026/27
Mydaddypaddy may be the horse on this list with the greatest scope for improvement.
He won his first two starts over hurdles at Carlisle and Haydock with enough authority to become an early Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite. His defeat in the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree cooled some of the excitement, but Skelton remained convinced that we had not seen him at his best.
Cheltenham supported that view. Mydaddypaddy finished third in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, only a short head behind Sober Glory and just over a length and a half behind Old Park Star. It was a proper Grade 1 performance from a horse still learning his job.
His size and shape made a switch to fences look possible, and connections did consider that option. However, Skelton has now confirmed that Mydaddypaddy will remain over hurdles for 2026/27, with the Champion Hurdle the long-term ambition.
That is a considerable step up from novice company, but it should tell us exactly how good he is. He is still only five, has raced just five times and could improve significantly with experience. The fences can wait. For now, we get to discover whether he can develop into a genuine two-mile championship hurdler.
4. L’Eau Du Sud: Champion Chase Contender for 2026/27
L’Eau Du Sud began his 2025/26 season by producing one of his best performances in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham. He travelled strongly, jumped accurately and beat Jonbon, immediately establishing himself as a serious Champion Chase contender.
His next run was less convincing. He finished third behind Il Etait Temps and Jonbon in the Tingle Creek Chase, and Skelton later admitted that the race taught him something important: L’Eau Du Sud is at his best when fresh.
That lesson influenced the rest of his campaign. He went straight to Cheltenham and finished third behind Il Etait Temps and Libberty Hunter in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Il Etait Temps beat the runner-up by ten lengths, so pretending L’Eau Du Sud was unlucky would require a generous imagination. He was simply beaten by a better horse on the day.
He nevertheless remains a high-class two-mile chaser with excellent Cheltenham form. A lighter campaign built around two or three major targets could suit him. You may not see him very often, but that might be precisely the point.
5. Kabral Du Mathan: Novice Chase Prospect for 2026/27
Kabral Du Mathan arrived from Paul Nicholls with useful form and quickly developed into one of Skelton’s most intriguing hurdlers.
His victory in the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day was particularly impressive. He travelled smoothly before quickening clear, showing the sort of speed that many staying hurdlers would happily borrow for an afternoon. That performance persuaded connections to try three miles in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
For a few moments, the plan looked inspired. Kabral Du Mathan travelled like a possible winner and moved into the lead at the final flight. The Cheltenham hill then asked a rather impolite question. He weakened into fourth, finishing five and three-quarter lengths behind Home By The Lee.
Skelton’s conclusion was more decisive than mine might have been from the sofa: Kabral Du Mathan did not stay. The trainer believes that two and a half miles is his ideal distance and has suggested that he will go chasing in 2026/27.
That could be an exciting move. He has the ability to travel through good races and enough speed to be dangerous at intermediate trips. We still need to discover how he jumps a fence under pressure, but if that part of the experiment works, Skelton could have a very smart novice chaser.
6. Maestro Conti: Life After the Triumph Hurdle
Juvenile hurdlers have an awkward habit of looking like future stars in March and then finding life considerably harder against older horses.
Maestro Conti has enough ability to make the transition. He won impressively at Kempton on his first British start and followed up in the Grade 2 Triumph Trial at Cheltenham. Those victories came under different conditions and showed that he possessed both speed and stamina.
He then finished second in the 2026 Triumph Hurdle, beaten a length and a half by 50/1 winner Apolon De Charnie. Maestro Conti was unable to reproduce that performance at Aintree, where he moved into the lead three hurdles from home before weakening into fifth.
That late defeat is worth remembering, but it does not erase what came before. Skelton believes Maestro Conti has the temperament and racing style to enjoy a longer career than some talented juveniles who burn brightly and disappear quickly.
His opening runs against older horses will reveal where he stands. I would avoid making Champion Hurdle predictions before breakfast, but a good first season outside juvenile company would keep several doors open.
7. Forthfactor: An Aintree Bumper Winner Going Hurdling
Every stable list needs a younger horse who gives you permission to get carried away, and Forthfactor fills that role nicely.
He made a winning stable debut at Hexham, beating Titanium Ring by six lengths, before finishing fifth in a Listed bumper at Ascot. That defeat suggested he had improvement to find, but his final run provided a much more exciting answer.
Forthfactor won the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree, travelling through the twenty-runner field before taking the lead two furlongs from home and running on strongly. It was a polished performance in a race capable of producing good novice hurdlers.
He now has to prove that he can jump. Bumper form does not always transfer neatly to obstacles, however tempting it is to draw a straight line from Aintree to Cheltenham.
Still, he possesses experience, stamina and a useful finishing kick. If his hurdling technique matches his engine, Forthfactor could become one of the yard’s most enjoyable novice hurdlers to follow through the autumn.
8. Push The Limit: The 580,000-Guinea Experiment
Push The Limit is either a very exciting novice hurdle prospect or an extremely expensive reminder that Flat ratings cannot jump hurdles. We will find out soon enough.
Formerly trained by Ralph Beckett, he won a valuable handicap over one mile and three furlongs at Glorious Goodwood and ended his Flat career with a rating of 103. He was subsequently bought for 580,000 guineas and joined Dan Skelton’s yard.
Rather than rushing him into a juvenile hurdle campaign, the trainer gave him a full year to develop physically and learn his new job. That decision also preserved his novice status for 2026/27.
Reports from home suggest he is jumping well, with an autumn hurdling debut planned once suitable ground arrives. His Flat ability and stamina provide an attractive starting point, but racing pace can make beautifully schooled hurdlers suddenly forget where their legs belong.
I would not back him for Cheltenham simply because he cost more than several houses. I do, however, want him in my tracker from his first start.
9. Mr Hope Street: A Possible 2027 Grand National Horse
Mr Hope Street’s first season over fences took time to gather momentum. His opening results were respectable rather than spectacular, but everything came together on 2026 Grand National day.
Held up in the £100,000 handicap chase over three miles and a furlong, he made strong progress late in the race. Harry Skelton briefly lost an iron after the second-last fence, which was hardly ideal timing, but Mr Hope Street continued to respond and defeated Lookaway by a head.
That victory completed a remarkable Aintree treble for the stable and placed Mr Hope Street on the early lists of potential 2027 Grand National contenders.
He still has plenty to prove. Winning a valuable handicap over the Mildmay fences is not the same as handling the unique test of the Grand National course. His rating could also make life more difficult during the new campaign.
However, he stays and battles and should have more to offer after only one season chasing. Those are useful qualities when the distances begin to stretch beyond three miles.
10. Panic Attack: Another Grand National Attempt in 2027?
Panic Attack was one of the principal reasons Dan Skelton became champion trainer.
She started the 2025/26 season by winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and returned only two weeks later to land the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury by six and a half lengths. She became the first horse in 21 years to win both races during the same campaign.
As if that were not enough, she later won a Listed mares’ chase at Newbury by fourteen lengths. Her winning run ended when she finished third behind Dinoblue in the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham, although that was still another creditable effort.
The 2026 Grand National was supposed to provide the final chapter. Unfortunately, Panic Attack fell at the third fence, ending months of preparation before the race had really begun. She later finished third of four at Perth.
She will be eleven during the closing months of this campaign, so further improvement is unlikely. Even so, another Grand National attempt remains possible, and last season showed that writing her off because of her age can be expensive. She deserves the chance to finish her story properly.
Why Dan Skelton’s Horses Are Worth Following in 2026/27
Winning the trainers’ championship was not simply a case of sending out hundreds of runners and hoping enough of them collected prize money. Dan Skelton won major races with very different types of horses.
Grey Dawning succeeded over distances ranging from the Betfair Chase trip to two and a half miles. Panic Attack won two of Britain’s most competitive handicap chases. The New Lion competed in championship hurdles, while Mydaddypaddy, Maestro Conti and Forthfactor showed that the next generation is already arriving.
There is also considerable strength beyond these ten. Grade 1 winner Bossman Jack is expected to go chasing, while Doyen Quest ended the campaign with a six-length Grade 2 victory at Sandown. Live Conti could return from injury, and Walkonseas, Kaiser Ball and Different Story are among the expensive recruits still waiting to show what they can do.
My ten will not all deliver. One will probably jump terribly on his chasing debut, another will dislike the ground whenever I back him and somebody left off the list will win a Grade 1. That is normally how these things work.
Those are my Dan Skelton horses to follow 2026/27, but now it is over to you. Which horse are you most looking forward to following this season? Leave your own selection in the comments, especially if you have found a less obvious name hidden somewhere in that enormous stable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dan Skelton’s 2026/27 Horses
The New Lion and Grey Dawning are the two obvious candidates. The New Lion finished third in the Champion Hurdle and second in the Aintree Hurdle, while Grey Dawning won both the Betfair Chase and Melling Chase. The answer may depend on whether you prefer hurdles or fences.
No final route should be assumed. The New Lion has the speed to compete over two miles but has also performed strongly over two and a half. A possible step up to three miles has been discussed, while fences remain a longer-term option. His early campaign should clarify the plan.
Grey Dawning has the ability to compete with leading staying chasers, having won the Betfair Chase and finished fourth in the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, Dan Skelton has ruled out another Gold Cup attempt. He is expected to begin the new campaign in the Betfair Chase before connections decide which Grade 1 route suits him best.
Kabral Du Mathan is one of the most interesting novice chase prospects in this selection. He possesses plenty of pace, travels strongly and is expected to be most effective around two and a half miles. Bossman Jack is another major candidate from elsewhere in the stable after connections confirmed that the Grade 1 winner will also go chasing.
Forthfactor is the proven bumper option after winning the Grade 2 contest at Aintree. Push The Limit is the more unusual prospect, having achieved a Flat rating of 103 before being bought for 580,000 guineas. Both must now show that their ability transfers to hurdles.
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