Dalston Lad

The season did not start smoothly. A disappointing run early on prompted the yard to investigate, and they found he was suffering from ulcers — something that had gone undetected because he was working well at home. Once treated, the transformation was stark. He has won 3 of his last 6 races, including back-to-back victories at two of the most prestigious tracks in Britain. He won a top-two race at Aintree on Boxing Day 2024, then followed that up with a Class 1 win at Haydock Park on Valentine's Day 2026 — the highest tier of race in the sport. That is not a horse finding his level; that is a horse still rising through it.

What Dan Skelton's team say about him is telling. He'll "gallop all day," stays well, and actually handles wet or muddy conditions — which opens up a lot of options in a British winter. The step up to longer distances has visibly suited him, and the trainer's assistant has been candid about the plan: while he's ahead of the handicapper, keep running and keep winning. That kind of honesty is refreshing, and it speaks to a horse whose best days may genuinely still be ahead of him.

Skelton himself is one of the most prolific trainers in Britain right now — his yard at Alcester has sent out 194 winners already this season, a number that puts him firmly among the elite. When a stable operating at that volume picks out a horse and talks about him with genuine excitement, it is worth paying attention. Dalston Lad raced just yesterday and is very much in the thick of an active campaign, with Aintree seemingly next on the agenda. A second win at that track would make a compelling argument that this is a horse built for the big occasions.