It was the ultimate showdown of car vs horse. Leading trainer Dan Skelton took on jockey Harry Skelton in a battle in the Cotswolds. But who would you have backed?
The 2017 Grand National meeting is finally here and luxury Italian car brand Maserati are celebrating by exploring the capabilities of the first ever Maserati SUV, by pitting it against leading point-to-pointer Dinnie O.
To add spice to the intriguing clash, National Hunt Trainer and Maserati ambassador Dan Skelton was behind the wheel. Brother and jockey Harry Skelton was in the saddle – and the battle took place in front of the beautiful backdrop of the Chavenage House Estate.
Following the rules of historical point-to-point racing, the Skelton brothers were tasked with travelling between two set points as fast as possible. The nature of the race and the course allowed the Levante to showcase its off-road capabilities, having to navigate through rough terrain. With both competitors taking different routes to the finish line, the power and speed of the Levante eventually told, with Dan overtaking Harry and Dinnie O on the final straight.
Commenting on the exciting challenge, Dan Skelton said: “Understandably the yard is a very busy place at the moment and it was enjoyable to take some time out of the pressures of preparation for the Aintree Festival. Racing my brother through the British countryside in the new Maserati Levante was fantastic fun and of course the best combination won!”
Harry Skelton added: “We’ve always been ultra-competitive and of course I never like losing to my brother. The challenge was something very different to my usual day job, and I’m hoping Dan will lend me the keys to his Levante soon so I can get behind the wheel for a test drive.”
All eyes will now be on this week’s meeting at Aintree and Dan picked out two horses to keep onside in the world’s most prestigious steeplechase, adding: “Saphir Du Rheu ran very well in the Cheltenham Gold Cup recently and could go well for my old boss Paul Nicholls if taking to the fences, and Nigel Twiston-Davies Blaklion would have a touch of class and stays very well.”
