How Dan Skelton might have given us a tantalising glimpse of the future

Thanks to Paul Nicholls winning his umpteenth King George VI Chase and Willie Mullins hoovering up the euros in Ireland, there was a sense of business as usual emanating from the racecourse over Christmas.

There was also a potential glimpse of the future at Kempton on December 26 and 27, when it was not Nicholls, Nicky Henderson or Colin Tizzard who dominated, but Dan Skelton.

The trainer landed five of the 12 races on offer at Kempton's two-day meeting, including the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase with Shan Blue and the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase with Altior's conqueror Nube Negra. By anyone's standards it was a remarkable piece of planning and execution from the 35-year-old.