Skelton jockeys' title looms after double takes him to 150 winners

Harry Skelton’s bid for a first jump jockeys' championship was strengthened further after a double took him to 150 wins for the season.

Success on hot favourite Tinnahalla in the 2m novice hurdle for Olly Murphy was swiftly followed by a confident performance on Hatcher for brother Dan in the 2m handicap chase.

Hatcher made simple work of his only rival in the race, easing down to win by two and a half lengths.

Dan Skelton was full of praise for the eight-year-old, who recorded his 12th win: “He’s been a brilliant horse. He loves a bit of nice ground and still retains plenty of speed, and hopefully he’ll have a productive summer.”

Skelton also believes his brother's championship lead, which has stretched to ten over rival Brian Hughes with just three days to go, will be very hard to claw back.

Dan Skelton: 'after today it's going to be very hard to make up the deficit'Credit: Getty Images/Pool

“Yesterday it felt like it was still just a little beyond us to say we were there, but after today it's going to be very hard to make up the deficit,” he said. “Until it's numerically impossible though, you've got to keep on doing what you're doing.”

Lorna Brooke remembered

A minute’s applause was held in honour of amateur jockey Lorna Brooke, a six-time winner at the course, who passed away on Sunday after a fall at Taunton.

Emotions ran high after the hunter chase, in which Garde Ville, who last won under Brooke this month, scored under amateur jockey Immy Robinson.

Speaking to Racing TV, Robinson said: "He's a phenomenal horse and Lorna should have been riding him today. They were a match made in heaven.”

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