Stratford result: Forthfactor romps home by 24 lengths for the Skeltons on hurdling debut

Forthfactor made a mockery of his rivals on his hurdling debut at Stratford on Thursday, making all to win the 2.20pm novices’ hurdle by 24 lengths for Dan and Harry Skelton. Sent off the 1/8 favourite, the five-year-old was never in any danger and has been quoted at 25/1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Harry Skelton sent him straight to the front, and the son of Wings Of Eagles was already clear before the third. He stretched further away with every flight and was hard held for much of the closing stages, with Olly Murphy’s Rock On Ronnie a distant second at 11/2 and Henrietta Knight’s Chocks Away another two-and-a-quarter lengths back in third.

Aintree bumper winner goes from strength to strength

This was no great surprise given what Forthfactor achieved in bumpers. He was last seen landing the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April, where he beat Willie Mullins’ Look Me by two-and-a-half lengths at 10/1. That came after a fifth in a Listed bumper at Ascot in December, and he now has four wins from five career starts.

He started out with Tom Weston, winning a junior bumper at Hereford in February 2025, before joining Skelton and following up at Hexham last November.

Another exciting novice for the Skeltons

Forthfactor is the latest in a long line of exciting recruits for a yard that already looks unstoppable this season. Skelton’s record-breaking campaign has been built on a seemingly endless conveyor belt of talent, and the battle with Paul Nicholls for the big prizes will be fascinating to watch as the season unfolds.

The form of this Class 4 contest will need a second look before getting too carried away, but the manner of the victory was hugely impressive. At 25/1, he looks an intriguing ante-post option for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and if he can keep progressing in Graded company this winter, those odds may not last long.

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