'He's just magic' - Grey Dawning gives Britain first Grade 1 win as fine week for Dan and Harry Skelton continues

As was the case a day earlier, Dan Skelton led the resistance against the Irish onslaught at Cheltenham by claiming a breakthrough Grade 1 triumph for the home team when Grey Dawning thrust himself into the 2025 Gold Cup picture with a game victory under the trainer's brother, Harry, in the Turners Novices' Chase.

Little more than an hour later, the same duo crowned the afternoon with Protektorat's emphatic Ryanair Chase success. By then, it was 3-0 to the beleaguered Brits, and the world was spinning a little more harmoniously once more.

Settled on the inside behind the pace-setting Ginny's Destiny, who jumped with aplomb under Harry Cobden, and Djelo, Grey Dawning hardly put a foot wrong before laying down the gauntlet to Cobden's mount as they swung for home. At that stage, neither rider had got animated and Cobden looked to have plenty of horse under him having judged the fractions nicely, as he had done a year earlier in victory on Stage Star.

However, Ginny's Destiny got tight to the second-last and lost momentum, which handed the initiative to Skelton's mount. He stole half a length there and that extended to a length by the time they took the last.

Credit the runner-up, he came back for more, but Grey Dawning found for pressure and had two lengths to spare at the line. Djelo was a further eight lengths back in third to secure a clean sweep of the places for the locals.

Zanahiyr fared best of the Irish runners in fourth, but nothing ever threatened to disrupt the three who set off in front, least of all Facile Vega, who failed to up his game over the longer trip.

"I think this is as good a novice as we have ever had," said the winning trainer of the seven-year-old. 

"He is very good. He jumps well and has a great brain, and he stays very well. We'll go down the Gold Cup route next year. I'll enter him at Aintree but there is no pressure on him to go, although I've never been afraid to run this horse."

Skelton suggested the mid-term plan for Grey Dawning would be to target the Betfair Chase in the autumn. Returned the 5-2 joint-favourite here with Facile Vega, he was cut from 25-1 to 8-1 for the 2025 Gold Cup in Betfair's Sportsbook.

"Hopefully he's got a long career ahead of him and to put up a performance like that was fabulous," Skelton added. "I'm delighted for everyone involved."

The trainer's brother, likewise winning the race for a first time, said of Grey Dawning: "He's just magic. This is unbelievable. He was great today and, after a long discussion, Dan got the right race. 

"We just thought on the ground a galloping track would suit him down to a tee. Everything just went perfect. He absolutely pinged the last two fences and he's very good. I hope he's a bit special."

Grey Dawning held off Ginny's Destiny Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Grey Dawning's owner, Robert Kirkland – long a staunch patron of British jump racing – relished the moment. "I'm speechless," he said after his first festival success. "He's got the ability and the stamina for the Gold Cup and we hope for the future he's a horse for that race."

Following the victories of Langer Dan and Unexpected Party on Wednesday, by the time Protektorat secured Dan Skelton a tenth festival win the trainer had been responsible for four of the home team's six wins. After seeing off the challenge of his boss, Paul Nicholls, in the Turners, it was put to him there was hope of a resurgence.

"There is life in the British challenge," he said. "It's not easy and we're not getting things our own way. Maybe we were used to having things our own way for so long. But this is a sport and as trainers we have to knuckle down, and we all are. It will turn. I'm not saying it will turn all the way back and it probably wouldn't be a good thing to have such one-sidedness ever again. And all of this England versus Ireland – I hate to break it to everyone but it's everyone versus Willie, so we need a dose of reality on that as well."

By the time Protektorat flew home from Envoi Allen, it was beginning to feel like it was everyone versus the Skeltons. Willie who?

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