3 minute read
Trainer Dan Skelton will be hoping Grey Dawning can provide the perfect Christmas gift in the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
The exciting grey went from strength to strength during his novice chasing career, culminating in a two-length victory in the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Although he suffered a defeat at Aintree on his only subsequent start last season, Grey Dawning ended the year as one of Britain's leading novice chasers.
Pitched in against tough competition on his step into open company in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, Grey Dawning ran commendably to finish two-lengths second behind course specialist Royale Pagaille.
In a press conference organised by The Jockey Club, Dan Skelton said: "Grey Dawning is really, really good. Immediately after Haydock, I really didn't expect him to be running at Christmas but I cannot believe how well he came out of the race, even the day after. He has been brilliant at home since and has done a couple of pieces of work on the grass and jumped. His rider Tom (Messenger), my assistant, is really happy with him and our physio is happy with him too.
"We had him as fit as we've ever had him for Haydock. Every horse is entitled to improve for a run but the way he acted afterwards was that he had really improved, which was a big surprise – I was expecting him to be tired and lethargic for a week or two afterwards before we started slowly building back up. If he hadn't told us he was ready, we wouldn't be doing this. Whether it's his constitution or whether there was a bit more to work on than we thought or whatever, he came out of Haydock better than you could have expected.
"I am really surprised at how well he is – it's not because he's not a horse that's always well, it's just that Haydock was a particularly hard race. To have him in this shape is more than I could have hoped for really and I am very excited about the King George.
"I wasn't really sure where we would go after Haydock, I toyed with the idea of the Winter Millions at Windsor and Trials Day at Cheltenham but I didn't want to end up subjecting him to another slog on really soft ground which both those fixtures could and historically have been. I am really pleased we are in the position we are in and we can come for this race. I wouldn't change it and I am confident he can improve again.
"We are climbing the ladder and don't think we are as high as we can go yet. I don't know how high he can go but I still feel we are climbing the ladder. Haydock was his first run out of novice company and he improved – I think the handicapper said by 7 or 8lbs
which is quite an assessment on that ground. I just think he is really good and wouldn't swap him for anything."
With previous winning form at Kempton, having taken a handicap hurdle on the same card in 2022, Skelton is undaunted by the change in track.
"I do feel the way he went through the race at Haydock the other day that this type of test, on a flat track with a bit better ground, should really, really suit him.
"If you watch him in the novice chase at Warwick last season, he did go pretty strong left at the last but Harry was looking for a shorter stride and it's his natural instinct to go that way. However, I don't think he's anything like Protektorat, who I said I had concerns about going right-handed before the Peterborough Chase. Protektorat hangs that way but I don't have the same concerns about Grey Dawning – he doesn't hang at all but just pops a little bit left.
"I know we are talking about an elite horse but Kauto Star used to flick out to his left and a lot of horses do at Kempton, especially up the straight but personally I don't think it is a big thing for Grey Dawning. He has won over hurdles at Kempton and needed the run over fences at Exeter last season when he jumped straight.
"From a jumping perspective, I think he'll be better off at Kempton. At Haydock in the really slow ground, every time he landed Harry had to take him back. We couldn't afford to use too much energy over the jumps and be too forward between the jumps. So, I think on better ground and going a faster gallop his jumping will be better. It will be a totally different race to Haydock, very competitive with lots of runners."