L'Eau de Sud won the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown

The five-year-old grey (10/11 favourite), who counts Sir Alex Ferguson amongst his co-owners, was completing the middle leg of trebles for Dan and Harry Skelton when winning an attritional renewal of the Betfair Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown.

The winner wasn't foot perfect in the race, making a bad error two from home, but was more assured than eventual third - and main market rival - Down Memory Lane who was struggling from an early stage as Soul Icon took them along.

As Soul Icon faded, the race was left for Touch Me Not (5/1) - one of two runners for Gordon Elliott - to fight it out with the eventual winner.

However, it was the grey who stretched clear late on to win by three and three-quarter lengths and extend his unbeaten record over fences to three. Sky Bet make him a 7/1 chance for the Arkle, second-favourite behind Ballyburn.

“The ground was hard work, it’s deep now. He bunny hopped the last but he’s a tough horse and has won ugly when he needed to,” Harry Skelton told ITV Racing.

“He’ll have a little break now and will probably have one run before the Arkle. He’s a fit horse, you’ve got to run them when they are fit and well and that is what Dan does, you take your chances but he’s shown today ground doesn’t really matter. I think he’s got it all this horse. On some nice spring ground I think he’ll really enjoy it.

“He’s beaten two really good horses today and Soul Icon is no slouch. He’s thrown our hat in the ring there but I’m sure there’s plenty to come across the Irish Sea.”

Kingmaker or Newbury next for winner

Dan Skelton said: “I’m delighted as it’s the first time he’s been in a bit of a fight. He was very unpolished over the last and second last but that’s just him getting it done over the jumps in pretty sticky ground.

“The whole way around he was travelling particularly well. He definitely wants that slightly better ground to be seen at his absolute best. We’ll give him his flu vaccination, we’ll give him a little freshen up and he’ll either go for the Kingmaker at Warwick or he could go to Super Saturday (at Newbury). It depends where Harry’s got to be.

“I want to get him at his absolute peak for the Arkle and I think, after that, we’ve got a pretty exciting contender.”

Other days for Elliott pair

Elliott, watching on from Navan, told Racing TV of his runners: “Touch Me Not almost took a fence with him so he did very well to finish second.

“I thought for Down Memory Lane it all just happened very fast for him. When he won the last day he practically jumped round on his own.

“He didn’t jump badly he just jumped very carefully the whole way and I’d say he did well to finish where he did. There’ll be other days for him, hopefully.”

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