The New Lion brought up 80 Festival winners for his owner J P McManus when maintain his faultless record with victory in the Grade One Turners Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f), the opening contest on Ladies Day.

Partnered by Harry Skelton, the six-year-old made it five wins from as many starts as he overcame The Yellow Clay by three-quarters of a length with 6-4 Favourite Final Demand another four and three-quarter lengths back in third.

Winning trainer Dan Skelton said: “Our mouths probably ran away with us a bit early in the season, but he just looked so good. Harry gave him an outstanding ride there - so patient. What a great ride, and the horse was phenomenal. I just trusted him, and going to the last with them coming there, I believed he would win. I always believed he would win, in my heart. It just felt like it would take a very good one to get past this horse. I’m so, so proud of the whole team. We found him as an unbroken three-year-old in an indoor school, actually where I was born at Sandal House Farm, and it just felt like it was meant to be all the way through. He’s brilliant, very, very special.

“I can’t really describe why he’s so special, because he’s so normal. He’s so simple, no worries, as quiet as could be. He’s just so cool. I think he could do so much. It’s unusual territory - I’m not new to this game anymore, so I can’t say that, but I’m new to these horses. He can do things the other horses can’t.

“I did feel relieved. I trusted him the whole way round there, and Harry was trusting him as much as I was trusting him from the stands. He got tight at the last but I just knew he’d win. It was sublime. A great race, great novices. I’m very proud of him. I haven’t had one who can do things like this one. His simplicity is his greatest asset.”

Harry Skelton, currently sporting a black eye having been struck by a foal, said: “We always had belief in him. We knew there was something a bit different about him when we got him. He needed to mature, and he’s come here and done it in the one that really matters. That’s a big thing.

“I just wanted to get him settled and switched off, and the only instruction Dan gave me was to have belief in him - he’ll come there. At Newbury he did travel a bit early on, and I wanted to make sure I switched him off rather than have him there too handy.

“He dug in at the back of the last, and that’s really nice to see.

“It felt like a good race; they went a nice, even gallop. I’ve always said he’s not slow - I think he could drop back to two miles one day. I really believed in this horse. You’ve got to come and do it, but he was the one I was waiting to ride.

“The Champion Hurdle is a potential - I suppose this race puts horses on that path, but that’s a long way away. We’ll enjoy today.”

Dan Skelton – 11 Festival wins
Harry Skelton – 10 Festival wins

Trainer Gordon Elliott said of runner-up The Yellow Clay: “He ran a brilliant race and Jack (Kennedy) has given him a peach of a ride and I couldn’t be happier with him. He is a good horse.

“I thought we got a beautiful run throughout the race and I don’t think there were any excuses anywhere. There was no hard luck story.

“They went a good gallop out there and I would say that race will end up being a proper race.

“We will get him home and see how he is, but he could easily go to either Aintree or Punchestown.

“I don’t know whether we will stay over hurdles next season or go chasing with him. I will talk to Noel and Valerie (Moran), but we won’t make a decision today.”

Willie Mullins, trainer of the third Final Demand, said: “He ran a really good race, but he was just not good enough on the day. The New Lion was a very good winner, but we look forward to going chasing with our lad next season.

“I don’t think his jump at the last had any impact. You could see coming to the last that unless we had a day like yesterday he wasn’t going to win.

“I just felt I didn’t want to go the trip in the Albert Bartlett at this stage of his career. He will probably end up going three miles next season, but not now.

“I’m happy that we ran him in a race that will be better for his future.

“I imagine we will go to Punchestown with him at the end of the season.”

Bryan Drew, joint-owner of Final Demand, said: “It was only his third run over hurdles. He will be much better over fences when he has got more time to collect himself at the obstacles.

“I think he has run his race and we have just got done for a bit of speed running away from the last. I don’t think his jump at the last helped, but i think they had probably gone by then.

“There is still lots to look forward to with him and we will come back here next year for the Brown Advisory.

“We will have a go at Punchestown if he is okay then we will come back as a chaser next season.”

Trainer Henry de Bromhead said of the fourth Forty Coats: “I’m delighted with our lad. We know he is a nice horse and he has run another great race. Darragh (O’Keeffe) gave him a super ride.

“He got a little bit tap-for-toe at the top of the hill, but he stayed on really well. You would love to win your maiden hurdle with him now.

“He was a bit unlucky not to win as he just got nabbed on the line. He is a real chaser in the making, but we will enjoy today.

“I think ultimately he could be a really good chaser so I think we will keep trying to step forward with him before we go over fences.”