Horse Racing
How Many Cheltenham Festival Winners Has Dan Skelton Trained?
Andy is a horse racing journalist and betting expert who specializes in trends and stats. With his long association with TrainersQuotes and FromTheStables, Andy has also built up solid s with some of the best stables in the UK. Has written for GeeGeez and bookmakers Matchbook and BetBright in the past too, plus was the former sports betting editor of odds comparison site Easyodds and Juicestorm. Has also appeared on betting podcasts for MatchBook and has featured in the popular Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Guide in the past. Andy's also ghost written for former top jockey Richard Dunwoody and continues to have a monthly column in the Racing Ahead horse racing magazine. Now a regular on Sportscasting giving his views, trends and tips mainly on horse racing - if there's a stat to be explored and it's a sport, Andy is sure to find a betting angle to use. You can also hear Andy's weekly horse racing views and best bets on the popular Final Furlong podcast.
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Since leaving Paul Nicholls back in 2013 and setting up on his own, trainer Dan Skelton has grown his Warwickshire-based stable to be one of the biggest in the UK.
He currently leads the 2024-25 British jumps trainers championship too and is set for one of his best horse racing seasons yet – but just how many Cheltenham Festival winners has Dan Skelton trained?
Dan Skelton Has Fired In 10 Cheltenham Festival Winners To Date
Heading into the 2025 Cheltenham Festival the Dan Skelton Lodge Hill and Badbury Hill Barn stable has sent out TEN Cheltenham Festival winners.
His first success at the biggest jumps meeting of the season came back in 2016 with Superb Story, who won the County Hurdle – a race Skelton has gone onto win three more times with Mohaayed, Ch’tibello and Faivoir.
He’s also had success in the Mares’ Hurdle with Roksana, but his biggest win to date came only last season in the 2024 Ryanair Chase when the classy Protektorat flew home in the airline-sponsored race.
Langer Dan has been a controversial Dan Skelton Cheltenham winner too – winning the last two runnings of the Coral Cup. With some saying Skelton had been shrewd in the build up to protect his handicap mark – allegedly.
It was also last year in 2024 that the Dan Skelton Cheltenham winners tally received a big shot in the arm – after he fired in four winners at the meeting. Including two greys – Unexpected Party, who won the Grand Annual and Turners Novices’ Chase winner Grey Dawning.
Since setting up on his own in 2013, Skelton has racked-up over £11.8m in total prize money won – and sent out over 680 winners.
Dan Skelton Cheltenham Festival Winners (10)
- Turners Novices’ Chase – (1) Grey Dawning (2024)
- Ryanair Chase – (1) Protektorat (2024)
- Mares’ Hurdle – (1) Roksana (2019)
- County Handicap Hurdle – (4) Superb Story (2016), Mohaayed (2018), Ch’tibello (2019), Faivoir (2023)
- Coral Cup – (2) Langer Dan (2023, 2024)
- Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase – (1) Unexpected Party (2024)
Note: Correct before 2025 Festival
Harry Skelton Has Ridden Eight Of Dan Skelton’s TEN Cheltenham Festival Winners
The ten Dan Skelton Cheltenham Festival winners were also kept in the family as brother Harry has ridden eight of these winners.
While even the other two winners – Faivoir and Mohaayed, who both won the County Hurdle, were ridden by Bridget Andrews, who is married to Harry Skelton.
WATCH: Grey Dawning Winning The 2025 Turners Novices’ Chase
WATCH: Langer Dan Winning The 2024 Coral Cup
Dan Skelton Still 39 Cheltenham Winners Behind His Old Boss Paul Nicholls
Despite slowing creeping up the Cheltenham trainers’ leaderboard – Dan Skelton still has some way to go to catch former boss Paul Nicholls, who currently sits on 49 Festival winners.
The pair also need a pair of racing binoculars to see Nicky Henderson with 73 winners and Willie Mullins on a remarkable 103 Cheltenham winners.
Which is why it’s no surprise Mullins is the short-priced favourite with the best horse racing betting sites to be top trainer at Cheltenham again.
Trainer Cheltenham Festival Winners (Correct Before 2025 Festival)
- Willie Mullins (Ire) 103
- Nicky Henderson 73
- Paul Nicholls 49
- Fulke Walwyn 40
- Gordon Elliott (Ire) 40
- Martin Pipe 34
- Fred Winter 28
- Fred Rimell 27
- Jonjo O’Neill 26
- Tom Dreaper (Ire) 26
- Vincent O’Brien (Ire) 23
- Bob Turnell 23
- Henry De Bromhead 23
- Ivor Anthony 22
- Philip Hobbs 20
- George Beeby 19
- Edward O’Grady (Ire) 18
- David Nicholson 17
- Nigel Twiston-Davies 17
- Alan King 15
- Dan Skelton 10
The New Lion One Of TheBig Dan Skelton 2025 Cheltenham Festival Hopes
Heading into the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, Dan Skelton will be looking to increase his tally of 10 winners at the meeting.
Protektorat will be a popular pick in the Ryanair Chase again. While his two-time Festival winner Langer Dan could be stepped up to the Stayers’ Hurdle on day three.
However, it’s The New Lion, who was recently bought by JP McManus, that many feel is Skelton’s best chance of a Cheltenham winner in 2025.
This exciting 6 year-old is 3-from-3 over hurdles and was super-impressive when winning the Challow Hurdle at Newbury over Christmas (watch below).
He’s one of the leading fancies with the best UK betting sites for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, which is run on day two of the Festival.