THE Dan and Harry Skelton team played host to Channel 4’s Morning Line programme at breakfast-time and things worked out perfectly later on as 6/1 shot Three Musketeers kept on well to land the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle by three quarters of a length from Ballagh. The 10/11 favourite Shantou Bob was disappointing in third.

This looked a good race and Three Musketeers is a horse with a future. Clearly going best when Flintham started to weaken and Shantou Bob came under pressure, he was pushed clear by Harry Skelton and would have won tidily but for swerving right between the last two flights. Allowed to come to the stands’ side rails, he was always doing enough in front.