Overview
- Kabral Du Mathan surged past Jingko Blue after the last to win the Relkeel Hurdle by five and a half lengths, turning a steadily run race into a decisive sprint.
- Trainer Dan Skelton said the performance was exactly what he wanted to see and confirmed the gelding will head straight to the Stayers' Hurdle at the Festival.
- He lined up as a short-priced market leader, with Skelton noting he was a younger horse than most of his rivals and carried no penalty.
- The victory followed a wide-margin Haydock handicap success in November on his first start for Skelton, where a three-furlong step up sparked an RPR rise to 155, about 14lb of improvement.
- A Relkeel win has occasionally preceded Stayers' Hurdle glory, with More Of That in 2013 and Bob Olinger in 2024 cited as examples, though it is not a consistent guide.