Panic Attack, ridden by jockey Harry Skelton and trained by his brother Dan, secured a thrilling win in the prestigious Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
The six-year-old mare, who was listed as 6-1 outsider, stunned the field with a dominant performance that left favorites Vincenzo and Spiritofthegames struggling to catch up. Skelton's victory marked Dan Skelton's first win in this coveted event, which is one of the most valuable and challenging horse races in the British jumps season.
The siblings' triumph was bittersweet, however, as they also celebrated a special moment on and off the track. Harry revealed that he and his wife, fellow jockey Bridget Andrews, were expecting their second child and anxiously awaiting news about the due date.
Their firstborn son, Rory, is just 18 months old, and the couple's enthusiasm for parenthood was palpable as they shared the excitement of this momentous occasion.
In a season that has seen Dan Skelton narrowly miss out on the British trainers' championship to Willie Mullins for the second consecutive year, his triumph in the Paddy Power Gold Cup is a significant boost. The 6-1 win over Vincenzo and third-place finisher Hoe Joly Smoke, however, still leaves him some distance behind his rivals.
The thrilling contest unfolded on a challenging day at Cheltenham, where a heavy downpour during the previous 24 hours led to significant course changes. Despite these disruptions, racing took place as scheduled, with fans braving torrential rain and gusty winds to support their favorite horses.
The six-year-old mare, who was listed as 6-1 outsider, stunned the field with a dominant performance that left favorites Vincenzo and Spiritofthegames struggling to catch up. Skelton's victory marked Dan Skelton's first win in this coveted event, which is one of the most valuable and challenging horse races in the British jumps season.
The siblings' triumph was bittersweet, however, as they also celebrated a special moment on and off the track. Harry revealed that he and his wife, fellow jockey Bridget Andrews, were expecting their second child and anxiously awaiting news about the due date.
Their firstborn son, Rory, is just 18 months old, and the couple's enthusiasm for parenthood was palpable as they shared the excitement of this momentous occasion.
In a season that has seen Dan Skelton narrowly miss out on the British trainers' championship to Willie Mullins for the second consecutive year, his triumph in the Paddy Power Gold Cup is a significant boost. The 6-1 win over Vincenzo and third-place finisher Hoe Joly Smoke, however, still leaves him some distance behind his rivals.
The thrilling contest unfolded on a challenging day at Cheltenham, where a heavy downpour during the previous 24 hours led to significant course changes. Despite these disruptions, racing took place as scheduled, with fans braving torrential rain and gusty winds to support their favorite horses.
especially since he's been close to winning it before but didn't quite get there. now that he has this victory under his belt, i'm sure he'll be back stronger than ever! 
and omg can you believe dan's brother harry is having a baby?! 
that's like, amazing news!!! congrats to the whole skelton family 
. I mean, 6-1 outsider? That's crazy talk! And then it just annihilates the field... not nice for Vincenzo and Spiritofthegames, eh? 
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. You gotta respect 'em for sticking around, though! 
I dont really get how they train the horses tho... is it like a big obstacle course or what? 
And omg harry skelton's wife is having a baby too?! 
i hope she gets to take care of her new little one while harry is busy riding horses all the time. i wish them all the best for their new addition! 
by the way, how do they get the horses to run so fast? its like, wow! 
. The course conditions were insane, but I love how they still managed to get the racing done. Dan's got some serious skills & I'm hyped for what he'll do next 
All in all, what a fantastic day out for horse racing fans everywhere!