IN-FORM trainer Dan Skelton is targeting a big-race double on the opening day of Cartmel’s Barbecue Meeting.

Skelton has made a flying start to the campaign, with more than 40 winners on the board already, and two of his early-season stars are heading to town on Saturday.

The Warwickshire handler's 41 winners so far is 17 more than the Jonjo O’Neill, and more than the double the early-season tally of his former boss, champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Four have been clocked up by Petrou, who is unbeaten since joining Skelton from Ben Case.

The seven-year-old will attempt to complete the five timer in Cartmel’s most valuable race of the year, the £27,000-guaranteed Totescoop6 Cumbria Crystal Cup Handicap Hurdle.

“Petrou is on a roll and is hopefully not done with yet, he will have a tougher task as is mark has gone up 21lbs since he won on his debut for me at Stratford two months ago, but I am hopeful,” said Skelton.

To help protect his mark, Petrou switched to fences last time after three straight handicap wins over hurdles, and he took that in his stride with a game defeat of River Of Intrigue at Uttoxeter.

The talented Bridget Andrews takes the ride, as she will on the front-running Ravens Hill, who has won two of his three races since joining Skelton in March and who goes in the Banks Lyon Jewellers Lady Riders Handicap Hurdle.

The only handicap hurdle in the country restricted to lady jockeys, the race not only carries £10,000 in added prize money, but for the winning rider the bonus of a stunning piece of diamond jewellery worth in excess of £5,000.

“Ravens Hill got off the mark for me at Sedgefield and followed up at Uttoxeter. I am not sure how he will handle the ground but he should be competitive” said Skelton.

Cartmel trainer James Moffatt has two horses in the field of five, with Charlotte Jones going for a hat-trick of wins on Lough Kent and Abbie McCain – grand-daughter of Red Rum trainer Ginger – on Fiosrach.

Moffatt runs three in the Cumbria Crystal Cup, with Altruism, Idder and Boruma all among the 11 starters.

The seven-race card gets underway with the Cartmel Lodge Park Novices Hurdle at 1.55pm.