Dan Skelton’s Ryanair Chase hero had been unsuccessful in his first couple of starts of the current campaign but the trainer had stated a return for this race was high on the agenda all along and he showed up in scintillating form.

The now 10-year-old Protektorat, second only to L’Homme Presse in the Fleur De Lys when run at Lingfield last January, was sent straight into the lead by jockey Harry Skelton, who got a breather into his mount around halfway.

Well-backed 5/4 favourite Djelo, who beat Protektorat in Huntingdon’s Peterborough Chase last month, closed up heading towards the third-last fence but the 100/30 winner still had loads in the tank and dashed clear again before bounding up the straight to win by a yawning 23 lengths after popping the final two fences.

Djelo gave vain chase in second, with Irish raider Journey With Me ending up a further 21 lengths adrift in third. Indiana Dream and Tommie Beau were the other finishers, with Ahoy Senor pulled-up by his rider Patrick Wadge, having struggled to go the relentless gallop.

Sky Bet reacted by cutting Protektorat to 14/1 from 25s for a Ryanair repeat at Cheltenham in March, while he’s 10/1 in the same form’s Non Runner No Bet market. Betfair Sportsbook go 10/1 from 25/1 for the same Festival contest.

Harry Skelton said: “Today looked like a good opportunity for him. I’ve not ridden many with the constitution or toughness like him. He went a two-mile gallop, he was unbelievable.

“He is an unbelievable character as he is so tough. Tomorrow you could take him out on the gallops and he would do that five times around the gallops.

“He is amazing and that was a massive day for the horse. We will go to the Ryanair, but we are not too naive to think that today wasn’t a big day for him.

“It was fantastic prize money so well done to Windsor. If there was ever a horse that would love the track it was him, left-handed with plenty of jumps. It was a brilliant day.”

‘I don’t think you can go too fast on him’

Dan Skelton said: “It was brilliant. He could never win a Paddy Power under top weight, but it was the most sensible place to start. I always knew our backs would be against the wall in the Peterborough Chase and he was always going to find that hard. It was going to be harder than anyone would believe. I told them how hard it was going to be and I don’t think anyone really thought it was going to be that hard.

“He was very authoritative today. He loves it and he just loves racing. To bottle that enthusiasm would be worth a zillion.

“Of course you can go too fast on any horse, but I don’t think you can go too fast on him as long as you have got hold of the bridle. Harry always had hold of the bridle, and that horse, when you have got hold of the bridle you can then lower him and accelerate into the jumps the last three strides and he can then be really good.

“I think with this horse now the more he is racing the first three jumps are very important to him. If he gets a really good, smooth positive three jumps, you can ride him a bit easier. He is not the easiest horse to ride, not necessarily in a race, but in general.

“He has quite a wooden mouth on him and he leans on the bridle. You couldn’t ride him off a piece of string as he is quite heavy in your hand. Some horses are quite light and you can put them where you want and they nip left and tuck right. The New Lion can spin on a sixpence, but this horse is a bit different.

“This is a Grade One in all but name and it is worth a load of money. I don’t think there is any point running him before Cheltenham and we will go there with him and we will go to Aintree with him afterwards. There is a very short turnaround. He is 10 years old and in two years’ time he won’t be able to do it.

“He got over Cheltenham and Aintree last year and it was not like it finished him. This and Cheltenham were the two biggest races for him this season. He will make them go in the Ryanair. Yes, there are younger horses, with more fancier depths of form, but he will make them go, don’t worry about that.”

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