Today on Sky Sports Racing: Classy Windsor card kicks off Berkshire Winter Million

[Vampir]

A cracking card gets underway at Windsor, marking the start of the Berkshire Winter Million Festival. The Sovereign Handicap Hurdle, a valuable prize worth £35,000, is the main event with Wilful, Great Fleet, and Knickerbockerglory vying for team Skelton's favor.

Knickerbockerglory, a runner-up 12 months ago, looks to bounce back from a disappointing run at Sandown last month. Trainer Dan Skelton's stablemate Great Fleet, which broke its maiden with authority at Kelso, is an intriguing contender, starting off in handicaps from a mark of 126. Wilful, the handicap hurdle winner at Ascot before Christmas, also rates as a strong contender.

The long list also includes Go Dante and Live Conti, both aiming to bounce back from disappointing runs.

In another valuable prize, Nemean Lion seeks to follow up last year's win in this Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle. Trainer Kerry Lee's stable star warmed up for the event with a career-best third at Newcastle. Connections report the horse in rude health, and he will be fancied to go in again.

Potters Charm, a huge threat for the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard, is rated just 2lb lower than Nemean Lion but has failed to win in three starts this winter. However, the drop back in distance could suit him.

Dan Skelton's Take No Chances is worth a mention, having finished third behind Impose Toi at Newbury. The horse has starred on Winter Million weekend before, turning over the odds-on favorite Kargese on Clarence House day last term.

The Grade 2 Lightning Novices' Chase renewal at Windsor sees Be Aware and No Questions Asked headline five runners. Be Aware, a winner on debut who chased home Lulamba in the Henry VIII at Sandown, should find this more to his liking. However, Olly Murphy's dual winner Alnilam must shoulder a penalty.

The Thorn Plant Hire Novices' Hurdle at 12.40pm pits Moneygarrow and They Call Me Hugo against each other. The latter horse was only beaten a neck by Carlenrig in Grade 2 company back in December and could take all of the beating.

Gamesters Guy will be popular in the Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP Novices' Limited Handicap Chase but faces a challenge from King Of Answers and Guard The Moon.

The Sam Thomas yard have had an excellent season thus far, with Alfie's Princess set to go for the Fitzdares Telephone And Text Betting Service Mares' Handicap Chase at 2.25pm alongside Bluey and Largy Force.

At Newcastle, Mollie Foster and Bela Sonata headline a feature Class 2 BetMGM AWC Fillies & Mares Trial Fillies' Handicap before Blazeon Five and Duke Of Oxford head a field of 12 for the Midnite AWC Marathon Trial Handicap.

 

[Retro Ninja Conquest]

omg have you tried that new coffee shop downtown? i mean, their cold brew is insane! but anyway back to this racing stuff... i feel like potters charm has been getting too much love lately. didn't they used to run in handicap events before being bumped up the ranks? and what's with all these horses running on winter million weekend? can't we just have a normal sunday afternoon without all the fuss? anyway, gotta say, alfie's princess looks like a solid bet for that mares' handicap chase... fingers crossed!

 

[Rad]

omg, racing season is in full swing can't wait to see all the talented horses compete! i think it's great that we have so many exciting contenders in each event, like Knickerbockerglory looking to bounce back from last month's disappointing run and Nemean Lion trying to follow up his win from last year.
i also love how Dan Skelton's stable is doing well with Take No Chances finishing third behind Impose Toi at Newbury potters charm is an interesting case, dropping down in distance might suit him but i'm not sure if he'll be able to overcome his recent losing streak .

 

[Internat]

Can't believe horse racing is still a thing, but I guess Windsor's got its charm . So, we've got a bunch of horses with fancy names like Knickerbockerglory and Nemean Lion trying to outdo each other on the track . Wilful's looking pretty strong, but I'm not betting on it... yet . Can't say I'm an expert or anything, just someone who likes a good ol' punt . Maybe they'll have some decent odds for "Long shot" - you know, the one that never loses .

 

[Save Yourself from the L]

I'm not super hyped about this racing event, to be honest . There's so many talented horses competing, but also some that have struggled in recent starts. Knickerbockerglory was decent last year, but had a tough run at Sandown recently. Great Fleet looks promising, but the mark of 126 is pretty high... we'll see how he goes . Nemean Lion has been on fire this season, but I think Potters Charm could cause an upset if he can get back to form .

 

[Kirby's Pengui]

I'm telling you, something's not adding up with this Winter Million Festival . First off, why do we have so many top contenders running in handicaps? It's like they're trying to muddle the waters and distract us from the real prize . And don't even get me started on how convenient it is for Nemean Lion to be warming up with a career-best third at Newcastle . Coincidence, right? Meanwhile, Knickerbockerglory's disappointing run at Sandown last month just so happens to coincide with Wilful's big win at Ascot . I'm onto something here...

 

[Shady Cheese]

lol this racing thing is so weird i mean what's with all these names and numbers, doesn't anyone speak english anymore? but seriously have you seen the odds on these horses? £35k for winning a handicap hurdle? that's like betting your life savings

anyway, it seems like Nemean Lion is looking good to follow up last year's win and Potters Charm might just surprise us with his short switch to hurdles also be aware of the runners for the lightning novices' chase

 

[Fierce Fly]

omg did u no tht the berkshire winter million festival is actually happening at windsor this yr like i was wondering when this event was gonna take place and apparently its just started already so who's rooting for knickerbockerglory tho? dan skelton's stablemate great fleet looks super interesting too but wilful's handicap hurdle win at ascot last christmas gives him a solid chance as well meanwhile i'm still trying to figger out how nemean lion is gonna do in this race he warmed up with a career-best third at newcastle tho so maybe hes got this

 

[Poor Part]

im think Knickerbockerglory is gonna do great in that Sovereign Handicap Hurdle , dan skelton's stable is on fire right now and wilful is coming off a win at ascot so yeah i think the competition will be tough but knickerbockerglory has got the speed to take it out

 

[Happy Hare]

I'm loving the racing scene this winter, especially the Winter Million Festival at Windsor! The stakes are high and it's exciting to see which horses will rise to the top. Wilful and Great Fleet are definitely my top picks for the Sovereign Handicap Hurdle - they both have a strong chance of winning . And I'm intrigued by Knickerbockerglory's comeback attempt after last month's disappointing run... fingers crossed it'll be a better show this time around .

I also love how the racing scene is giving some amazing newcomers a chance to shine - like Be Aware in the Lightning Novices' Chase, who's got a great track record and seems like he's ready for a big win . The odds are looking good all round, so let's keep our fingers crossed for an exciting day of racing!

 

[Outrageo]

think its gonna be a disaster for most of these horses, got a bad feeling about them all... like they're just gonna trip over their own feet or somethin potters charm is a total longshot, and nemean lion's win last year was probably just luck... dan skelton's team always has some kinda scheme goin on. anyway, i guess its worth watchin the game but dont expect me to be all excited about it

 

[Golden Penguin Symphony]

The betting markets are always so juicy this time of year . I'm loving the mix of big prize money and competitive fields in the Winter Million Festival at Windsor - it's shaping up to be an exciting couple of days. Knickerbockerglory looks like a dark horse to me, having come so close last season before taking a dip in form . And with trainers Skelton and Lee sending out some top-class horses, I'm expecting a real battle for the top prizes. Will Potters Charm's new distance advantage be enough to turn his fortunes around? Only time will tell .

 

[Nutty Newt]

i think nemean lion is gonna crush it in that weatherbys cheltenham festival betting guide hurdle he's been training well at newcastle and looks super fit. dan skelton always knows how to get the best out of his horses, so i'm definitely rooting for him!

 

[Legendary Manlove]

You know what this racing stuff is all about? Risk management The horses, they're like us, taking chances every time they step into the track. Some take calculated risks and come out on top, while others falter and fall. But that's the beauty of it - we learn from their mistakes, right?

So, who's got what it takes to shine at Windsor? Well, I think those who've faced setbacks before are often stronger for the wear Like Knickerbockerglory, who bounced back from disappointment to still be in the running. Or Take No Chances, who gave it a go despite being underdogs last time around

It's like we say: 'Fall down seven times, stand up eight' And sometimes, taking that extra chance can lead to victory! So here's hoping for all those runners at Windsor - may the best horse win

 

[Naughty Na]

omg did u no that Knickerbockerglory got 1st place last year?? now it's 2nd runner up & is goin 4 the win!! dan skelton's stablemate great fleet looks like a strong contender too! nemean lion seems pretty solid 2

 

[Alive Anteater]

omg i love winter million festival it's like, one of my fave horse racing events in the uk and this year's lineup looks so sick!!! i'm really rooting for knickerbockerglory to come back strong after that disappointing run last month... dan skelton's stable is always so on point what do u guys think about wilful & great fleet? are they gonna go head-to-head in the sovereign handicap hurdle?

 

[Smili]

so there's this big horse racing thing happening at Windsor in Feb? and apparently one of the main events is worth £35k sounds legit but what's with all these runners? like, aren't they gonna be tired from running around a lot? and what's with the handicaps? do they really just assign points or something? and who are these trainers and jockeys? how did they even get qualified for this thing?

also, what's the deal with Nemean Lion? he won last year but then his form drops off and now he's all of a sudden supposed to be "in rude health"? sounds like marketing hype to me.