Dan Skelton is highly optimistic about Grey Dawning's capabilities as the horse prepares for the Betfair Chase at Haydock. Despite the challenge of facing seasoned opponents, Skelton believes Grey Dawning is ready, citing the horse's solid performance around the course and previous Grade One victory as a novice. This Saturday's race presents an opportunity for Grey Dawning to follow in the footsteps of Protektorat, a former Betfair Chase winner. Highlighting the support from the Kirkland family, Skelton remains confident yet realistic about the competition, aiming for success while accepting possible setbacks.
Dan Skelton is optimistic about Grey Dawning's performance in the Betfair Chase
Grey Dawning is seen as a major contender after previous wins
The horse aims to replicate Protektorat's success in the same race
Harry Skelton riding Grey Dawning clear the last to win The Turners Novices' Chase during day three of the Cheltenham Festival 2024. (Getty)
Dan Skelton is confident that Grey Dawning will produce his best form when he returns to action in Saturday's Betfair Chase.
Skelton will have been disappointed to see the Turners' Novices' Chase stripped of its Grade One status, when the changes were announced to the Cheltenham Festival. Harry Skelton rode Grey Dawning to victory in the final running of that Grade One in March, before repeating the feat aboard Protektorat in the Ryanair Chase an hour later.
Protektorat won the Betfair Chase on his first start out of novice company back in 2022, and Skelton will be hoping to see Grey Dawning follow in his stablemate's footsteps.
“It would be great to win the Betfair Chase again." Skelton told the press. "The Kirkland family have been great supporters of ours and Richard (Kirkland) knows he has a great horse and he would love every second of it if we win on Saturday."
"At the same time, he is a very respectful owner and if we get beat we’ll come back for another day and give it another go. You just want to win those big ones and it’s lovely to have a proper contender.”
Grey Dawning shortened at the head of the market for Saturday's feature at Haydock when Corbetts Cross was ruled out. Skelton had hopes to get a run into his star before his trip to Haydock, but good ground forced the Warwickshire handler into finding an alternative route.
Skelton continued, “Grey Dawning has been for a racecourse gallop and he did very well."
"Obviously, the last two seasons he got beaten on his seasonal debut – over hurdles and in a novice chase. His record shows there is a bit of a patch first time out, but the reason for that is that we had been very easy on him in the early part of the season for those races. When they are novices, they are always going to improve."
“This is a totally different kettle of fish. He needs to be ready against more seasoned horses and dare I say it, better horses, first time up. That is why we have put an awful lot of effort into getting him as ready as we can. I fully believe he is as ready as he can be.”
Dan Skelton (right) will be looking to extend his advantage at the head of the Champion Trainer standings this weekend. (Getty)
“He is proven around Haydock which is a big plus and he has stayed the trip already at Warwick. He is a Grade One winner and carries through top form from last year as a novice. I’ve never ducked the situation that he has got to come up now to their level, to Grade One level in open company. But I feel he can do it. I’ve always felt this horse will be a progressor all through his life. Touch wood, he’s done that for us but it will be a totally different test on Saturday.
“He is quite a light-framed horse and you’d call him a little tubular – not a deep-girthed old-fashioned National Hunt chaser at all. But he’s a real athlete and looks fantastic He never carries a lot of weight and when you see him on Saturday you’ll say he does look ready."
"You will find 95 per cent of really good Grade One horses are pretty straightforward. They have got the brain for it and that is what allows them to be so good. Grey Dawning is that and there aren’t many chinks in his armour. As to how good is he, we’ll find out on Saturday how good he is at this point in his life. He has always had the right attitude, you can see that in the way he sees out his gallops at home. He hasn’t really surprised us although you are always a bit surprised when they do win Grade Ones as not many horses are Grade One horses."
As things stand, Grey Dawning is Britain's leading contender for the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Skelton's Festival winner is priced up at 16/1 to win Cheltenham's showpiece race with bet365. Ahoy Senor and The Real Whacker, who will meet Grey Dawning on Saturday, are the next-best for the British in the Gold Cup market, at prices of 40/1 and 50/1 respectively.
“We want to go down the Gold Cup route." Skelton said. "That’s how you start out hoping and the racecourse will tell you whether that’s realistic or not. Protektorat won a Grade One as a novice at Aintree and Grey Dawning won his Grade One novice at Cheltenham. He was a bit over the top when he went to Aintree. He has been beaten before and is not one of those horses that only has ones next to his name. He can get beat and he can come back from it.
“While Saturday is very important, we are not going there apprehensive in any way. We are going there excited with a really good horse. He is as good as any staying chaser we’ve had at this stage of their life."
"Protektorat sets the bar quite high for us as a seasoned chaser but new blood and new legs puts pressure on the older horses. I’ve looked at all the different charts and I think Haydock will get more rain than expected ahead of Saturday. There is a cold week in prospect and I think it will ride quite dead and a bit tacky. But we were promised rain last week and it didn’t turn up! We’ll see.”
