Dan and Harry Skelton gear up for Grand National meeting with 70-1 treble

Dan and Harry Skelton could not have asked for better preparation before day one of the Grand National festival as they teamed up to complete a 70-1 treble.

The pair got off the mark when Mr Hope Street broke his maiden at the seventh attempt in the 2m4½f handicap hurdle. That success was quickly followed as Jet Plane made it back-to-back victories in the feature 2m3f handicap chase, before The New Lion justified 11-8 favouritism in division one of the 2m½f bumper.

Speaking to Racing TV after Mr Hope Street’s victory, Harry Skelton said: "The extra distance helped him. He’s a big, backward horse and is still pretty raw. He's very much a work in progress and I think he’ll improve nicely to go again. The penny still hasn’t dropped yet."

Dan Skelton is leading the jumps trainers' championship from former boss Paul Nicholls and is set to fire plenty of arrows at Aintree’s three-day meeting.

Protektorat, Langer Dan and Unexpected Party – all winners at the Cheltenham Festival – have live chances on the first two days, while the yard sends Galia Des Liteaux to the £1 million Grand National on Saturday.

Asked which ride he is most looking forward to, Harry Skelton said: "It’s got to be Galia Des Liteaux in the people’s race – the Grand National. I can’t wait."

Course King

Kielan Woods and Ben Pauling teamed up to strike with King Of The Road in the 2m½f handicap hurdle.

The five-year-old was winning at the track for for the second time in less than a fortnight.

Who wins the trainers' championship?

Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls or Willie Mullins? Whose team will have the final say in the tightly fought trainers' championship? 

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