Dan Skelton talks Ascot and the Christmas racing schedule

It will be an unusually quiet Saturday for us when we will have only one runner and that is Mohaayed (3.35) in the feature handicap hurdle at Ascot.

Heran okay at Cheltenham the other day but he has a biggish weight again andafter all the rain the ground is going to be horrendously wet and heavy. Itcould even be off, so I am sat on the fence a little bit with him.

Weare busy gearing up for Boxing Day and beyond. We will have a very busy BoxingDay and December 27, but it will not be quite so wild after that. 

I amgoing to give the string their flu vaccinations over new year, as after whathappened last season I don’t want any mishaps, and then plan for a springtimeassault hoping the weather relents at some point.

I amglad the ‘Sandown Seven’ incident has come to a satisfactory conclusion, whichmeans Harry will be available to ride instead of serving a ten day suspension.

Theappeal verdict gives you faith in a system of having an independentdisciplinary panel. The case was heard on its merits and everyone was listenedto. 

Obviouslythe stop-race procedure has to change and will change. I was very strong in theimmediate aftermath that that was what had to happen. Regardless of the resultof the appeal I still hold that opinion. 

TheBHA said it would look at this in conjunction with the PJA, which is veryimportant. Hopefully the whole thing has been put to bed and we can all moveforward.

Ifwe hadn’t had Harry over the Christmas period it would have been like afootball team operating without its main striker. We need him out there. Solet’s hope we have a bit of luck over the Christmas period. 

Dan