'We want to go down the Gold Cup route and I feel he can do it' - Skelton's big expectations for Grey Dawning's Betfair Chase comeback

Britain's big Gold Cup hope Grey Dawning is primed to be at his best for his comeback in Saturday's Betfair Chase according to trainer Dan Skelton, who hopes he can develop into his yard's greatest staying chaser yet.

The seven-year-old has been beaten on his return to action for the last two seasons but the in-form Skelton, who is more than £500,000 clear in the race to be champion trainer, has no worries about Grey Dawning's fitness for Haydock with a racecourse gallop already behind him.

The Cheltenham Festival winner is 7-4 favourite with the sponsors for the first domestic Grade 1 of the season and will face a maximum of nine rivals in a field lent extra intrigue after Willie Mullins supplemented his Cotswold Chase winner Capadanno for £7,200.

It will be Grey Dawning's first run since he finished third in the Manifesto Novices' Chase at the Grand National meeting in April, which followed his triumph in a thrilling finish to the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham a month before.

Dan Skelton, pictured with his 2024 Cheltenham Festival winners Protektorat and Grey Dawning at his Lodge Hill Stables in WarwickshireCredit: Edward Whitaker

His Saturday assignment represents a step up in distance from his peak novice chase form while two of the five defeats in his 13-race career have come on his comeback run, but Skelton said: "Grey Dawning's record shows there's a bit of a patch first time out, but the reason is we'd been very easy on him in the early part of the season for those races. This is a totally different kettle of fish. 

"He needs to be ready against more seasoned horses and better horses first time up. We've put an awful lot of effort into getting him as ready as we can and when you see him on Saturday you’ll say he does look ready.

"He's proven around Haydock, which is a big plus, and he's stayed the trip already at Warwick. He's got to come up now to Grade 1 level in open company but I feel he can do it. I’ve always felt this horse will be progressive, but it'll be a totally different test on Saturday."

Native River was the last British-trained horse to win the Gold Cup in 2018 and Grey Dawning is the leading domestic hope in the 2025 ante-post market at 14-1 with Paddy Power. 

"We want to go down the Gold Cup route," said Skelton. "That’s how you start out hoping and the racecourse will tell you whether that’s realistic or not. Saturday is very important, but we're not going there apprehensive in any way. We're going there excited with a really good horse. 

"He's as good as any staying chaser we’ve had at this stage of their life, even if Protektorat sets the bar quite high for us as a seasoned chaser.

"I'd say 95 per cent of really good Grade 1 horses are pretty straightforward and they've got the brain for it. Grey Dawning is that and there aren’t many chinks in his armour. We’ll find out on Saturday how good he is. He's always had the right attitude, you can see that in the way he sees out his gallops at home. You want to win those big races and it’s lovely to have a proper contender.”

Hewick and Gavin Sheehan after winning the King George VI Chase at KemptonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Gavin Sheehan is set to be back aboard Hewick for the first time since their King George VI Chase success at Kempton.

The Shark Hanlon-trained nine-year-old has the benefit of two recent runs and was beaten just half a length by Envoi Allen in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal last time.

Sheehan said: “If it turns into a staying test around there it hopefully might just suit him. He’s run two very good races this season and it’s good to be back on him."

Sheehan, who has a 27 per cent strike-rate in the last fortnight, added: “I’ve been sitting on some nice horses and things have been going well. I spend more time in the car than I do in my bed but I’ll travel anywhere for a winner.”

Other potential rivals at Haydock are Royale Pagaille, successful in this race 12 months ago, and runner-up Bravemansgame, along with Ahoy Senor and Gold Tweet.

The going at Haydock on Monday evening was good, with some areas of good to soft in the back straight. Snow and sleet were forecast into Tuesday morning, followed by up to 6mm rain on Wednesday and the possibility of more showers on Thursday.

Betfair Chase (3.05 Haydock, Saturday)

Betfair: 7-4 Grey Dawning, 4 Ahoy Senor, 11-2 Royale Pagaille, 7 Hewick, 8 Capodanno, 9 Bravemansgame, 10 bar

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