Mydaddypaddy: Dan Skelton's hurdler and the 2027 Champion Hurdle

Record

Five starts in just over a year, with the step up in class coming quickly.

The bumper at Huntingdon was won by eleven lengths and the Haydock race by seven. He went to Aintree on Boxing Day unbeaten and odds-on, and lost for the first time. Harry Skelton held him up at the back, he made smooth progress turning for home, but Idaho Sun kept going and beat him by three and a quarter lengths. The last two hurdles were left out because of low sun, which turned the finish into a long run on the flat.

At Cheltenham he came from mid-division and made his effort up the run-in, but had trouble finding a gap between rivals. Old Park Star, the 15/8 favourite from Nicky Henderson's yard, won by a length and a half from Sober Glory, and Mydaddypaddy was a nose further back in third. He has not run since. His official rating went from 138 at Aintree to 139 at Cheltenham.

What is known about Mydaddypaddy

• He travels and jumps well. Reports of his runs describe smooth progress through his races, and his jumping is quick rather than careful. That suits two-mile hurdling, where a mistake at speed costs more than in a longer race.
• He has been held up in both Grade 1 races. Both defeats came when he had to make ground late. At Aintree the winner got first run; at Cheltenham he was short of room at the key moment.
• He has not yet won at the top level. His three wins came in a bumper, a seven-runner maiden and a three-runner race. At Grade 1 level he is 0 from 2, beaten by different horses each time.
• His target is open. One preview in June said the stable might send him chasing, which would take him out of the Champion Hurdle altogether. No decision had been announced in anything we could read by early October.

He is still young for an open championship. As a six-year-old in 2027 he would carry the full 11st 10lb, with no allowance, and meet Lossiemouth receiving her 7lb mares' allowance from him.

Champion Hurdle 2027: chances and why

The Champion Hurdle is run over two miles and 87 yards with eight hurdles, the same course and trip as the Supreme in which he was third. The bookmakers' 6/1 implies about a 14% chance.

Our estimate, not a bookmaker price: if he lines up, about 12%, a fair price near 7/1. Because he may go chasing instead, we put his overall chance today at about 8%, which is a fair price of around 11/1. On that view 6/1 ante-post is too short.

The reasons:

1. He was beaten in both of his Grade 1 runs, and neither of the horses who beat him is shorter in the Champion Hurdle betting.
2. A rating of 139 leaves a lot to find against a mare who won the 2026 race by six and a half lengths.
3. His plans are not set, and an ante-post bet on a horse who goes novice chasing is settled as a loser.
4. In his favour: he is lightly raced, ran well at Cheltenham despite a troubled passage, and has only had one season over hurdles.

What would change our view: a clear win in a recognised trial this winter, or a statement from the stable that he stays over hurdles.

How to bet on Mydaddypaddy

At a middle price, each way makes more sense than it does with a favourite. In a non-handicap with eight or more runners, standard terms are three places at a fifth of the odds, so a 6/1 shot pays 6/5 for a place. The each way calculator works out both halves for any stake.

Markets to consider:

• Ante-post win or each way. The biggest price, and the biggest risk, because a switch to fences loses the bet.
• Non-runner no bet. A shorter price, but the stake comes back if he goes elsewhere. With his target open, this is the version we would choose.
• Without the favourite. If you think Lossiemouth is the winner, this market lets you back him to beat the rest.

Ante-post rules and the festival timetable are on our Cheltenham 2027 page. How place terms change with field size is explained on the horse racing hub.

Where to watch

Racing in Britain is shown by national broadcasters on the big days and by dedicated racing channels every day, and racecourses publish replays of their main races. Viewers outside Britain and Ireland should look for the local holder of racing rights.

Some betting sites also show live racing to account holders who are signed in. Some of the sites we recommend offer pictures, though each covers a different set of meetings, so check the site's racing schedule before a big day.

Other horses to follow

The favourite has her own profile: Lossiemouth, the reigning champion. For Aintree in April, read about the two-time winner I Am Maximus and our guide to the 2027 Grand National.

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