Car versus horse: which of the Skelton brothers will win?

Ahead of tomorrow's Grand National (8 April 2017), National Hunt trainer Dan Skelton and his brother Harry, a jockey, battle it out with Dan behind the wheel of the new Maserati Levante Diesel and Harry aboard pointer Dinnie O

As tomorrow’s Grand National looms closer (8 April 2017), all eyes will be on the power of the horse — from die-hard racing fans to punters up and down the country for whom the National is their one bet of the year.

But how does the horse fare when pitted against a car? Sons of showjumper Nick Skelton, National Hunt trainer Dan and jockey Harry, took up the challenge to find out.

Maserati ambassador Dan Skelton got behind the wheel of the new Maserati Levante Diesel while Harry took the reins of point-to-pointer Dinnie O and set out across the grounds of Chavenage House Estate, in the Cotswolds.

Following the rules of historical point-to-point racing, Dan and Harry 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.

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Ahead of the Grand National Festival, Dan said: “We’ve had a little time to regroup after the Cheltenham Festival and now it’s back to normal, with everyone working hard to get the horses there in tip top shape. We’ve had a few winners recently so the yard seems in good form and the horses are running well.

“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,” said Dan.

“Racing my brother through the British countryside was fantastic fun and of course the best combination won!”

Harry 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.”

Don’t miss H&H’s Grand National preview — including our ultimate form guide and interview with Kim Bailey — on sale now (Thursday, 6 April). And you can read the full report from the Grand National meeting in H&H on Thursday 13 April

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