Etalon

The big moment came on 20 December 2025, when Etalon won a Class 2 race at Ascot — one of the most prestigious venues in British racing. Winning at that level matters. Class 2 races attract the better horses, and Etalon has won just 1 from 10 attempts at that grade, so that Ascot win was hard-earned and significant. Current form is encouraging too: in the last six races, the finishes read 2, 9, 1, 3, 4, 3 — consistently threatening, with that one blip of a ninth doing little to obscure an otherwise solid recent record. Etalon raced just yesterday, which tells you the horse is healthy and in a busy spell of form.

The conditions that bring out the best in Etalon are wet or muddy ground, where the record reads 4 wins from 7 races — winning more than half the time in those conditions is a genuinely striking stat, and it explains a lot about how the team around the horse will be thinking about entries through a British winter. Trainer Dan Skelton, based in Alcester, Warwickshire, is one of the most prolific trainers in the country right now — his yard has sent out 194 winners this season alone. He has spoken about Etalon having some physical issues to manage, including a pulled muscle early in the season, but also about the horse having real ability and being straightforward to ride once given time to recover. The pair have clearly been patient and methodical with him.

In the saddle, it is almost always Harry Skelton — Dan's brother — who does the steering. Together they have won 6 of their 21 races, which works out at around 1 in every 3 and a half rides together, a strong partnership by any measure. Harry has described Etalon as a horse that can be ridden in any style on most types of ground, which is a useful quality at the top level. With a Grade 1 race at Aintree reportedly on the radar, Etalon's story looks far from finished.