Plan A pays off for Dan Skelton as Molly Ollys Wishes headlines 41-1 treble

Saturday: Ascot

He was the undoubted outsider in the big race of the day at Ascot, but trainer Dan Skelton shone on the undercard with a 41-1 treble headlined by the Grade 2 victory of Molly Ollys Wishes in the SBK Mares’ Hurdle.

Amoola Gold failed to land a blow when fourth of four in the Grade 1 SBK Clarence House Chase as Shishkin and Energumene served up a thriller for racegoers, but by that point Skelton had found himself in the winner’s enclosure three times already.

The last of the three to find her way there was Molly Ollys Wishes, who held off the late charge of the Willie Mullins-trained My Sister Sarah to take the 2m7½f contest by a length and three-quarters under jockey Harry Skelton for owner Dean Pugh.

“I’m really pleased with her,” Skelton said. “We had her entered in a race at Lingfield yesterday as well as here and I said to her owner Dean that he had a big decision to make because Lingfield looked a tap-in but this race had always been Plan A. He said to keep to Plan A and it worked out perfectly for her.

“She’s been a slow burner and has taken us all by surprise. We did put her over a fence once at home and it was a disaster, so that took 50 per cent of the ideas for her off the table. Sometimes when you have fewer options there are fewer chances to make a mistake.”

The eight-year-old holds entries in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, although Skelton said he would adopt a wait-and-see approach with there also being options at Aintree and Fairyhouse in the spring.

Party time

Dan Skelton was more certain about Doctor Parnassus and Unexpected Party lining up at Cheltenham after their successes in the juvenile hurdle and Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle respectively.

Doctor Parnassus, making his debut for Skelton and owner David Fox, ran out a ten-length winner of the 1m7½f juvenile hurdle, which was reduced to just four runners after three horses were non-runners.

Unexpected Party (Harry Skelton) provided the middle leg of a treble at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker

“The depth of the race was probably not spectacular but you can only do what you can do,” Skelton said. “He’s quite a trainable, robust juvenile and that helps as you can train him harder and get him fitter. I’m not sure whether to stick to small fry or to go to the Adonis Hurdle next, but he’ll run before Chelteham.”

Coral shortened Doctor Parnassus to 25-1 (from 50) for the JCB Triumph Hurdle after his win.

The Coral Cup is likely to be the target for Unexpected Party at the Cheltenham Festival after he produced a smooth performance to win the 2m3½ handicap hurdle for the Unexpected Party Syndicate.

“He travelled very well through the race and I had been keen to drop him back in trip, but Harry didn’t want to do that,” Skelton said. “We’re very pleased to have still got him because he almost got to the point where he was too fragile. He’ll have all the entries but the Coral Cup will be highest on his agenda.”

100 up

Paul Nicholls celebrated his 100th winner of the season when Cat Tiger landed the 3m handicap chase in a photo-finish under David Maxwell.

Maxwell, who also owns the winner, said: "He's such a game, gutsy horse and he deserved that. I didn't think I'd had it on the line but I was glad he got the verdict."

On Nicholls reaching 100 wins, amateur rider Maxwell added: "I told Harry Cobden he couldn't do it so had to leave it to the amateurs!"

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