Hoe Joly Smoke

He is trained by Dan Skelton at Alcester in Warwickshire, part of one of the most productive yards in the country right now — 194 winners sent out this season alone. His regular partner in the saddle is Harry Skelton, Dan's brother, and together they have won 2 of their 14 races — about 1 in every 7 — which is a solid enough partnership, even if the big occasions have so far proved elusive. In five attempts at Class 1 level, the very top tier of British racing, Hoe Joly Smoke has yet to win, suggesting there is still a ceiling to find.

His most recent win came at Sandown in March 2025, and the trainer was already thinking bigger afterwards. Harry Skelton wanted to head straight to Scotland for the Scottish National, but Dan held firm — knowing the horse likes Sandown, knowing the track suits him, and preferring to come back somewhere familiar rather than risk a long trip to an unknown venue. That kind of patient, track-specific thinking is exactly why Sandown specialists exist.

The puzzle right now is the last six races, all without a win, the most recent just yesterday. His latest run came at Cheltenham over three miles and one furlong, and while he travelled well and looked like a winner for much of it, he faded late on. Dan Skelton's honest read was that the trip was simply too far — the horse looked like he was going to win, had been worked properly at home, but just didn't see it out. The plan now is to drop back in distance, and Skelton has spoken with clear optimism: he believes there is a good prize waiting for this horse at the right trip. If that trip takes him back to Sandown, the stats suggest you should be paying close attention.