Keep it in the family: Skelton hits 100 wins in a season - all for brother Dan

A double at Fontwell on Monday took jockeys' championship contender Harry Skelton to his fastest 100 winners for the season – but it was a century with a difference as every single one of his winners has been provided by his brother, trainer Dan.

There are several jockeys who ride 100 winners – seven achieved it over jumps in Britain last year – and there are plenty of jockeys who ride winners for only one trainer, and usually a family member at that.

But it is rare in the extreme that a jockey good enough to ride 100 winners in a season does so for just one trainer. So much so that Racing Post historian John Randall is unaware of another example.

"I started the season with the aim of winning 100 races," said Skelton. "Last season I rode my 100 at Ludlow in April as I remember Messy [Tom Messenger, assistant trainer] driving me across to Aintree in the evening."

And now Skelton is setting his sights on a first Grade 1 success.

"Hopefully that first Grade 1 will come before long," said the jockey after Get On The Yager got the better of favourite Ramses De Teillee in the handicap chase to complete the double. "It takes time but there are some lovely horses."

Skelton has brought up centuries in the saddle in each of the last two years but last year he rode nine winners for outside yards, while in the 2015-16 season his brother supplied 82 of his 101 winners.

But as Dan's Warwickshire yard – built on land owned by the brothers' father, double Olympic gold medallist Nick Skelton – has gone from strength to strength, Harry has focused more and more on just riding for the yard.

The Fontwell double, which was initiated by 6-4 favourite Roksana, puts Skelton just 16 winners behind reigning champion and title-race leader Richard Johnson, who himself was among the winners at Fontwell. Skelton is 29 clear of his nearest pursuer, the injured Sam Twiston-Davies.

By way of comparison, Johnson's 116 winners have come from 35 different trainers, with his main boss Philip Hobbs his single biggest source – supplying 24. He has ridden for a further 60 trainers. Skelton has taken just 29 outside rides for nine different trainers.

Skelton shares an agent with Johnson, Dave Roberts, and said: "All 100 have been for my brother and our team is very close-knit with Bridget [Andrews] and Ian Popham. It is very hard to pick up outside rides and Dave [Roberts, agent] is working hard and it is not his fault."

If you are interested in this you should also read:

Title-chasing Skelton rates chance of catching Johnson 'between slim and none'