Panic Attack secures Newbury Gold for Skelton

Panic Attack soothed Dan Skelton’s nerves with a superb success in the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury.

After The New Lion’s fall in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, spirits may have been low for the team but Skelton had another arrow to fire further south as Tristan Durrell took the ride on the mare in one of the season’s biggest handicaps.

Panic Attack was returning to action quickly after victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham just over two weeks ago, and was also stepping up to the three-mile-two-furlong trip for the first time as a 16-1 chance.

In a field of 24 she rewarded such bold campaigning, travelling and jumping happily throughout under Durrell and staying on best of all to claim a six-and-a-half-length win from Three Card Brag with The Changing Man in third.

The winning trainer said: “He’s given her a brilliant ride, fair play to Tristan, we trusted him.

“He has improved so much as a rider, like no other rider I’ve managed. It’s down to confidence and Harry (Skelton) giving him the right pointers and us filling him with confidence.

“She took off at the last, she was brilliant. She probably jumped the last so big to give herself a big fill (of air) but she’s a credit to herself to do that just 14 days later, a mare as well.”

The last horse to complete the big-race double was the Martin Pipe-trained Celestial Gold back in 2004.

Skelton added: “Celestial Gold did it but I was lying in bed the other day thinking he’s the only one to do it. Now there’s two!

“I said to Bryan (Drew, owner) ‘look she’s nine now, she’s getting on a bit and when they are fit and well you have to run them’.

“She’s clearly in form and Harry said early in the week to get on with it.”