Trainer Dan Skelton has been left very surprised that the new Triumph Hurdle favourite Solo has been given a nine pound higher rating than his chance in the contest Allmankind.
The Paul Nicholls trained French Exploit had his first run in Britain and for the yard at Kempton two weekends back and bolted up in the Grade Two Adonis Juvenile Hurdle and after that became the highest-rated novice hurdler in the land with a mark of 157.
However, ex-assistant trainer to Nicholls, Dan Skelton is baffled as to how that horse can be so much higher in the ratings than his star Allmankind who has been perfect on all three of his starts to date still being unbeaten.
🚨 Smart horse alert!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 22, 2020
🇫🇷 Solo looks a useful prospect! The French import saunters to success in the Adonis on his British debut for @PFNicholls & @CobdenHarry at @kemptonparkrace
As short as the 3/1 favourite for G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle at the @CheltenhamRaces Festival pic.twitter.com/SGXVc0ocdU
(Credit Racing Post) "Nothing has got close to either our horse, or Goshen, and Solo was ultra-impressive, but I'm not really sure why Solo deserves a 9lb higher rating [than Allmankind]," he said.
"The court of public opinion clearly doesn't agree with it because if they did Solo would be even-money."
Allmankind joined the Skelton yard this season previously being a smart horse on the flat but under the tutelage of the Warwickshire based trainer he has been superb.
He started his life over hurdles at Warwick seeing off an average field in good style but what he has done since that has been unexplainable.
He headed to Cheltenham in the Triumph Hurdle Trial and after going from the front he could not be stopped winning well, another thing to take from that contest is the second, third and fourth have all gone on to win since then franking that from.
Wow! Allmankind devours the opposition, remaining unbeaten over hurdles as he wins the Grade 1 @Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle for @harryskelton89 and @DSkeltonRacing at @Chepstow_Racing pic.twitter.com/gRKNBXjDJb
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 27, 2019
His last run to date came over the Christmas period at Chepstow in the Grade One Juvenile hurdle where again he went for the front and was far superior to the field winning eased down.
He has been faultless on all of his starts this term and even with the talent in this season's Triumph Hurdle he stands a very good chance.
Skelton added: "I think it's an open race and the British hold the upper hand.
"I think there are three very strong representatives for Britain and the Irish had a hard race against each other at Leopardstown.
I'm very happy with him. He's been working well and has won round Cheltenham."