Skelton says Grey Dawning has had ideal prep for Betfair Chase

Grey Dawning could continue Dan Skelton’s recent hot-streak at Haydock on Saturday after headlining seven confirmations for the Betfair Chase.

The eight-year-old found just Venetia Williams’ two-time winner Royale Pagaille too strong 12 months ago, but buoyed by their notable success at Cheltenham’s November meeting, the Skelton team are hopeful Grey Dawning can go one better this time around.

Skelton said: “It certainly wasn’t fitness that got him beat last year and he’s fit again now. He’s at the peak of his life in terms of age and hopefully it will all be enough.

“We’ve just got him really prepared for it, he’s had an away day and went the same day that Panic Attack did and has done everything asked of him. I couldn’t have asked for a better preparation.

“I don’t think there would be a question mark with him (having not had a run) and yes I was a bit nervous at Cheltenham with Panic Attack, but she’s different and there’s no negative to not having had a run with Grey Dawning.

“The forecast looks a bit in and out for the week, which is fine, we just don’t want anything like it was last year at the 11th hour.”

The Skelton team have won this previously with Protektorat in 2022, who was then campaigned as a Gold Cup horse for the remainder of the term, but Grey Dawning’s defeat in this last year – and subsequent disappointment in the King George VI Chase at Kempton – signalled a change of direction from the Lodge Hill operation who swerved the Cheltenham Festival in favour of a Kelso-Aintree ploy.

Skelton feels victory on Saturday would take the pressure off for the coming months and allow him a greater deal of flexibility to plot an appropriate course through the season.

He added: “If you can win on seasonal debut, it just makes it that little bit easier as you don’t have to go looking. I don’t know what his season would look like this year after the Betfair, I’d rather not be drawn on that either, but I’m looking forward to Haydock and we’ve got him in good shape.

“Once he got beat last year, it wasn’t like we felt we had to put things back together, but you do think ‘OK, where do we go now?’.

“You’re trying to find a race because you haven’t had a win and the best races for that were always going to be Kelso and Aintree and ultimately we got the spring right with him.

“We got beat by Gaelic Warrior at Aintree, but Patrick Mullins will tell anyone who will listen he is going to win the Gold Cup, so maybe that was actually a very good run.”

Joining Grey Dawning and the hat-trick seeking Royale Pagaille amongst the possibles for Saturday’s Grade One event are Rebecca Curtis’ Haiti Couleurs, the Gordon Elliott-trained Stellar Story, Paul Nicholls’ Hitman and Marsh Wren for Stuart Edmunds.

Also due to run is Ben Pauling’s Handstands, a Grade One winner of the Scilly Isles last season and second in the Colin Parker on his seasonal debut.

“I was very happy with the result we ended up with at Carlisle, in terms of a fitness run,” said the trainer.

“At home he has just been brilliant but he was a little ring rusty, looking about, and although he didn’t jump badly, he was very ponderous.

“I’m hopeful we will get a bit of a lead and I’m certainly not planning on making it because I don’t think we had any tactical speed at Carlisle and it was a funny old race, but it will have done his job.”