CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 12: Dan Skelton poses at Cheltenham Racecourse on December 12, 2025 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images) Credit: GettyCHAMPION trainer Dan Skelton completed a monster £1.4million spending spree – with the aim of obliterating a 26-year win record.
Skelton smashed the £5million prize money mark last season en route to winning his first jumps trainer title.
But more than a fifth of that has gone back out on horses in the recent sales.
Top of the list so far for team Skelton has been the stunning £430,000 purchase of Isaac Of York, who Skelton reckons can go ‘straight into Graded races’.
He was snapped up for top dollar at last weekend’s sales in Auteuil for an owner already with Skelton.
The four-year-old gelding won a Listed hurdle on debut in January and finished fourth and second respectively on his next two starts, the runner-up coming in the Grade 2 Prix Amadou at Auteuil.
Skelton struck again at the Goffs sales this week.
His most eyecatching purchase was the .
pinched the 2024-25 trainer title from under Skelton’s nose before the Brit handler got revenge this year.
Kaiser Ball won his debut bumper for Mullins by more than seven lengths then finished close behind subsequent dual Grade 1 winner King Rasko Grey when making his one and only start over hurdles.
Skelton and his buying partner Ryan Mahon also splurged £130,000 on Risky Obsession, who Skelton already trained.
The bumper winner was previously bought by Craig and Laura Buckingham for £190,000 at David Maxwell’s dispersal sale but will now go to a new owner.
Skelton – who has thrown his support behind – bought a further 23 horses.
And he said the goal is to smash Martin Pipe’s record tally of 243 winners in a season set in the 1999-2000 campaign.
Skelton said: “There’s a few we’ve bought over the last couple of days with Martin Pipe’s record in mind.
“We’ve bought a few that’ll run in the summer and early autumn and others that are going to be winter horses.
“You can only do it with the owners and the horses that you have, and I feel very lucky to have the collection of both.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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