'I'd love to come away with a genuine Gold Cup horse' - Dan Skelton excited for Grey Dawning's Betfair Chase challenge

Dan Skelton is highly optimistic Grey Dawning can pass his biggest test to date by winning Haydock’s Betfair Chase and enhance his claims for Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in March.

The exciting seven-year-old, winner of the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the festival this year, can be backed at 16-1 for steeplechasing’s premier event, but those odds are likely to contract sharply if he manages to defeat a solid Haydock field on his seasonal reappearance. Fitness won’t be an issue, according to his trainer.

“I’m really excited to go for a race like this,” Skelton said. “He’s done loads of work and we’ve been for a gallop, and he’s as fit as I’ve ever had him first time out.

Grey Dawning: back in action in the Manifesto Novices' Chase

“This will tell us an awful lot, and I’d love to come away from the race with a genuine Gold Cup horse.

“We have to remember we’re the novice coming forward, so hopefully it means we have the most improvement. We hope he has the profile for the Gold Cup.”

Grey Dawning, who is likely to start favourite at Haydock, was ready to run when heading the final declarations for Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase three weeks ago only to be pulled out on account of unsuitable ground.

Skelton added: “We’re not apprehensive about running, it’s really good to have him in and go there full of positivity.

“He got beat at the end of the season when he was a bit over the top, but he got more experience from it. We knew we’d have to have him as fit as ever now, so we haven’t hung around and we’ve got plenty into him.”

Expert Betfair Chase analysis:

• Ireland has a vice-like grip on the Gold Cup - but British hopes can stay alive for a bit longer

'I hope the blinkers can improve Bravemansgame' – Nicholls

Bravemansgame needs to raise his game if he is to land a fourth Grade 1 success, and Paul Nicholls is relying on first-time blinkers to work the oracle.

The nine-year-old, who destroyed Royale Pagaille by 14 lengths in the 2022 King George VI Chase at Kempton, has reportedly worked well in the headgear at Ditcheat and those with long memories will recall the stable’s See More Business landing the 1999 Cheltenham Gold Cup when blinkers were fitted for the first time. 

“I hope the blinkers can improve him,” Nicholls said. “If they just sharpen him up, you never know.

“Harry [Cobden] felt that some headgear might help him after he finished second in the Charlie Hall Chase on his seasonal reappearance.”

Cobden takes four rides for Nicholls at Ascot, including odds-on favourite Pic D’Orhy in the Grade 2 Copybet 1965 Chase, so Sam Twiston-Davies will partner Bravemansgame for the first time.

“I am looking forward to it,” Twiston-Davies said. “It is interesting that Paul applies blinkers. He obviously has previous form in the race and I think he’ll go well.”

Royale Pagaille bids to make it five wins from six Haydock starts

Royale Pagaille, six-and-a-half-length conqueror of Bravemansgame in this race 12 months ago, returns from a spell on the sidelines to defend his crown at a track where he boasts an outstanding record.

The ten-year-old sustained an injury when falling in the Cotswold Chase in January, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Reported in good shape now by Venetia Williams, Royale Pagaille has won on four of his five previous visits to Haydock.

His only defeat came at the course when finishing second to the brilliant A Plus Tard, who produced an astonishing performance in this race three years ago.

“Obviously it’s a venue he has enjoyed in the past,” Williams said. “He loves it there. He fractured his shoulder when falling at Cheltenham and that took a long time to come right.

“He’s in good order now and ready to run. There is more strength in depth to the race this year.”

What they say

Lucinda Russell, trainer of Ahoy Senor
I liked his comeback run at Aintree over a trip that was too short for him. He’s a horse who normally takes a couple of runs to get fully fit, but we’ve changed things around at home and I think he should run very well this time. He is best on spring ground, but if it goes soft he can cope with that, as he showed when winning the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

Gabriel Leenders, trainer of Gold Tweet
He did a good piece of work away at a racecourse last Monday and then a light canter again on Saturday. He's a horse with a lot of natural speed and I’d rather the ground was quicker than really heavy. The Betfair Chase has been my preference for quite some time. Gold Tweet is hard-fit from racing and at 100 per cent whereas some of the others are having their first run of the season. I couldn’t have him in better form. He’s as well as he was before he won at Cheltenham last year.

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