Seasonal Debut Not a Concern for Dan Skelton as Grey Dawning Primed for Betfair Chase

Dan Skelton is not worried that Grey Dawning hasn’t had a prep run ahead of Saturday’s Betfair Chase at Haydock and believes he is ‘as ready as he can be.’ 

No Prep Run, No Problem: Skelton Confident Ahead of Haydock Test

This striking grey won the Turners’ Novice Chase at the Festival but has been beaten on both seasonal debut’s in his novice hurdle and chase campaign.

Despite this, Skelton is not concerned, saying: “He went for a racecourse gallop, and it all went very well, obviously the last two seasons he’s been beat on his seasonal debut in a hurdle and novice chase, so his record first time looks to have a patch in it. That’s only because we’ve been easy on him in the early part of the season. 

“When they are novices, they are always going to improve, but this is completely different, he needs to be ready against more seasoned horses. I fully believe he is as ready as he can be.”

“He’ll be entitled to improve on what he does Saturday, but we took it very steady in his novice hurdle and novice chase campaigns first time out. There is significantly less to work on this time round, all be it every horse will tighten up for a run.”

He is currently the 15/8 favourite and despite the lack of a recent run, there remains plenty of positives ahead of Saturday.

‘As Ready as He Can Be’: Skelton Backs Grey Dawning to Impress

Skelton continued: “He goes round the track which is a big plus, he stays the trip already, he’s a grade 1 winner and he carries top form as a novice. We have to come up to the open grade 1 horses standard, but I feel he can do it, I’ve always felt he would be a progressor all through his life.

“He’s a light-framed horse, not your typical national hunt horse, but a real athlete, he looks fantastic, and you’ll see him Saturday and he’ll look ready.”

The ultimate aim for the Skelton team is that Grey Dawning may confirm promise that he is a Gold Cup contender come March.

However, the team remain level-headed and aren’t getting carried away insisting the racecourse will do the talking.

Skelton said: “We want to go down the Gold Cup route, but the racecourse will tell us if that’s realistic, we’re not just saying he’s a Gold Cup horse, we respond to each run and given the information we get on the day we’ll plot our route. 

“You all want to know how good he is? Truth is we’ll find out on Saturday how good he is at this point in his life. I can’t tell you he’s 10lb better than Protektorat, but the racecourse will tell us that and that’s the fun of this job. 

“You’ll find 95% of grade 1 horses, are entirely straight forward, you’ll find a few that have their quirks, but most are very level minded. He is that, he doesn’t have many chinks his armour. “

When asked if the seven-year-old has surprised him along the way, the Warwickshire based trainer always belived he was going to be a classy horse.

He said: “I always thought he’d be really good actually, he has the attitude at home along with the way he gallops and how he finishes his gallop. You always think there’s a little bit left and that’s the sign of a good one. 

“It hasn’t surprised us that he’s been really good, but you have to be surprised when he wins a grade 1, because you can’t expect any horse to be at that level, it’s unfair on them. we always thought he’d be pretty good. 

“He went to Aintree and was a little over the top, but I was always going to run him. he’s been beat before but he can bounce back, he’s not one of those horses that just has 1’s next to his name and everyone is terrified to run him..

“Whilst Saturday is very important, we’re not going there apprehensive, we are excited, hopeful that he’s a really good horse and as good as a staying chaser that we’ve had.”