Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Connections of leading Cheltenham Festival hope The New Lion have expressed their gratitude that the Grade 1 winning hurdler will not be trained elsewhere following his well-publicised recent sale.
Leading National Hunt owner JP McManus snapped up the Dan Skelton-trained Challow Hurdle winner over the weekend for an undisclosed sum, thought to be in the region of seven figures.
Previous owner Darren Yates, who brokered the high-profile deal with bloodstock agent Paul Byrne, reportedly made it a condition of the sale that the son of Kayf Tara would be continued to be trained by Skelton at his Warwickshire base.
Unbeaten in four career starts, three of them over hurdles, The New Lion is a warm ante-post favourite with William Hill for the 2m5f G1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle staged on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Having been on board for all four racecourse appearances, rider Harry Skelton, brother of the trainer, is relieved he can maintain his association with one of the season’s most exciting prospects.
“We’re delighted that we’re going to keep him in the yard after Darren’s (Yates) decision to sell him,” Harry Skelton told his Star Sports blog.
“We’re very much looking forward to his future and hopefully he is lucky for JP (McManus).
“He did everything that we hoped he would do at Newbury. We could never have dreamed he would do it as impressively as he did but myself and Dan always believed in him and we always thought he had the makings of a Grade 1 horse, so it was great to realise that belief in the Challow.
“He’ll head to Cheltenham now and he’ll probably have entries in both the Supreme and the Turners, with stepping up to three miles for the Albert Bartlett less likely.
“We’ll see what suits him best, but it looks like the 2m5f race is his most likely destination at this stage.”
