Hot To Trot: Skelton enjoying a super spring

Flat trainer: Andrew Balding

Andrew Balding has enjoyed a terrific run since the new turf Flat season officially began at Doncaster three weeks ago, not least with his three-year-olds. Indeed, of the nine winners Balding has saddled in that period, all but one of them have been members of the classic generation, with Bangkok and Fox Chairman looking especially good prospects when shedding their maiden tags at Doncaster and Newbury, respectively. Clearly, the Kingsclere trainer has plenty to look forward to this season, and he will be hoping to continue his winning sequence in the coming days, starting with his five entries on Wednesday’s card at Epsom.

A colt to watch… by Australia, costing 500,000 guineas as a yearling and with a Derby entry, Bangkok relinquishes his maiden tag in the style of a very good horse at @DoncasterRaces for @SilvDSousa and Andrew Balding... pic.twitter.com/X8sgT00nam

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 30, 2019

Genetics holds a choice of engagements on the card and shouldn’t be discounted in whichever race he lines up in. A three-time winner in 2018, he proved generally progressive once switching to more positive tactics, and though 10 lb higher than when recording his last success by 12 lengths at Ascot in August, it would be no surprise to see him give another good account. Similar comments apply to the improving Spirit Warning in the finale, while one of Balding’s best chance of a winner elsewhere during the week comes in the shape of Agent Basterfield. He produced his best effort to date when second on his handicap debut at Chelmsford earlier this month, and with further progress on the cards, a 2 lb higher mark is unlikely to prevent another big run at Yarmouth on Tuesday.

Jumps trainer: Dan Skelton

As the graph below shows, Dan Skelton’s season endured a slight lull during the depths of winter, but all that was forgotten with a double at the Cheltenham Festival, momentum that the yard has carried into the concluding weeks of the campaign. With six winners from his last 19 runners at the time of writing, it is fair to say that Skelton has his team in great heart at present, and there are plenty more opportunities for him to add to his tally before the National Hunt season officially comes to a close at Sandown next Saturday.

The trainer is responsible for no fewer than 31 entries across the four jumps meetings on Wednesday, with many of them multiply engaged, making it exceedingly difficult to identify individual runners of interest. Azzuri is worthy of any shortlist, though, having returned to form with a ready a success on Scottish Grand National day at Ayr; he could revert to hurdles at Perth and merits the utmost respect from a 17 lb lower mark. Also worth a mention is Denmead, who ran out a facile winner in novice company at Wetherby last month and could make his handicap debut at Fairyhouse on Tuesday, while Skelton is currently responsible for two entries in the bet365 Gold Cup, the feature race on Saturday’s card at Sandown. Captain Chaos and Get On The Yager each shaped with encouragement last-time-out, and though both of them hold alternative engagements earlier in the week, this valuable prize is sure to be the target if they look likely to get a run at Monday’s five-day stage – Captain Chaos currently needs 27 to come out, while Get On The Yager needs an additional eight.

Under the radar: Charlie Wallis

Having only sent out his first runners in 2015, Charlie Wallis enjoyed by far the best year of his brief training career to date in 2018 with 22 winners. More than a third of that tally was contributed by one horse – La Fortuna won eight of his 23 starts and advanced his Timeform rating by 39 lb in the process – but there looks to be far more strength in depth to this year’s team, with 10 different horses contributing to the yard’s tally of 11 winners at this relatively early stage of proceedings.

Three of those wins have come in the last two weeks alone, and Wallis will be hopeful of adding to his tally again when Fareeq runs at Lingfield on Tuesday. A comfortable winner of his penultimate outing over C&D, he shaped as if still in good form when third from 6 lb higher there last time, beaten just a length and a quarter despite never getting enough room to fully open up (finished with running left); he remains potentially well treated on that evidence and looks sure to mount another bold bid. Billyoakes is another who looks on a good mark if lining up at Wolverhampton later that day, now 3 lb than when winning at Lingfield in December, while Sir Hector could prove dangerous to dismiss at Yarmouth, also on Tuesday. He shaped as if retaining all of his ability after 11 months off when sixth at Wolverhampton last time, and a return to the form he showed in the first part of 2018 (proved most consistent) should see him thereabouts once again.