Dan Skelton report that his Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Protektorat is in fine form but won't mind doing the dirty work in the big one on March 18.

The Saints Des Saints gelding, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, has been rested since winning the Aintree Many Clouds Chase in December.

Skelton has resisted the urge to fit a prep race in, instead focusing on Protektorat's innate quality and keeping him in tip-top condition for Cheltenham.
Protektorat is the only British horse threatening the top of the market and Skelton is pleased with his seven-year-old in the run-up.
"He looks fantastic and I'm very, very happy with him," the trainer said at a press morning at his yard on Monday.
"Interestingly, of the four Festival winners I've had only one has run in the same calendar year and that was Roksana, who desperately needed a run to get ready for the Mares' Hurdle.

"I don't know how he compares to the very top Grade 1 chasers as we haven't taken them on. All you can take is what you saw at Aintree and I don't think that was a fluke."

Protektorat will step up to three and a quarter miles in the Gold Cup but Skelton isn't fazed.
He added: "I don't have any personal doubt about the Gold Cup trip, but you can never be 100 per cent certain until you've been there and done it - One Man and Florida Pearl will tell you that.
"I was delighted to take him to Warwick the other day, just to take a bit fizz out of him.
"He loves to run, he loves to jump and I hope he stays all day and gives us a right chance in a Gold Cup - I don't see any negatives."
Skelton spent many years as assistant to Paul Nicholls so has seen the Don of Ditcheat preparing Gold Cup winners.

During his time at Ditcheat, Skelton saw the Kauto Star-Denman rivalry first hand and what it took to prepare different types of Gold Cup heroes.

"When I worked for Paul you had two different types of Gold Cup winner," said Skelton.
"You had Kauto Star who was exuberant and would look fantastic on the gallops every day, and then you had Denman who was totally different type of horse as he didn't have the same natural pace.
"Protektorat is a grafter. He puts his head down, his knees come up and he puts it all in, which gives me positive thoughts for a Gold Cup.
"He won't mind getting dirty. If it turns into one of those gritty Gold Cups, I won't be afraid to have him there."
READ MORE:Cheltenham Festival 2022 guide: When is it, times, big races, top horses, trainers, jockeys and more.