The New Lion roars in brilliant Challow performance

The New Lion proved himself an exceptional novice hurdling prospect with a facile success in the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.

Trained by Dan Skelton, the unbeaten five-year-old was a course winner on his previous start, building on his earlier win over timber at Chepstow.

Sent off at 9-4, Harry Skelton was content to watch on from midfield as outsider Electric Mason led them, along with the strong-travelling Bill Joyce who was always in his slipstream.

Harry Cobden on Paul Nicholls’ 5-4 favourite Regent’s Stroll was a little further back and both the Ditcheat contender and The New Lion edged closer into contention as the runners moved into the straight.

However, it was the Skelton charge that the eye was drawn to as The New Lion moved up menacingly to tackle Electric Mason and Bill Joyce at the last and the exceptional youngster barely broke sweat as he cantered home under a motionless pilot.

Jamie Snowden’s Wendigo kept on past beaten horses for second, with Regent’s Stroll unable to enhance his trainer’s fine record in the race coming home in fourth.

“He was very good, we’ve always liked him and hoped he would have a performance like that in him – it was just great to see,” said Skelton after landing the final British Grade One of the year and capping a stellar 2024 for his string.

“He’s done very well since winning his novice hurdle at Newbury during the Coral Gold Cup meeting and has just sharpened up a lot since then. We thought we had him better, he goes round very professionally and I just like the way he does everything really.

“At the same time of his life, My Drogo was very impressive. My Drogo was very fragile and wasn’t the easiest to train, but this horse, he is just a very unassuming horse at home with bundles of ability and you have to say he’s as good a novice hurdler that we’ve had.”

The New Lion is likely to remain over an intermediate trip for a Cheltenham Festival bid in the spring, with Paddy Power making him a 4-1 chance from 12s for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March.

Skelton added: “I’d say we will stay at this distance, but I would have no fear in dropping back in trip. I know he sees it out well, but he isn’t a slow horse.

“I probably won’t even enter him over three miles at the Festival and we’ll take a view closer to the time, but if I was only allowed two entries it would be over two miles and two and a half rather than two and a half and three.”

Confirming the Cheltenham Festival will be next, he continued: “We’ll just have him as ready as we can for March now.”