Grey Dawning Aintree bound after Kelso win

Second in the Betfair Chase in the Haydock mud on his reappearance before failing to fire in Ladbrokes King George at Kempton, the grey jumped superbly under Harry Skelton and with El Elefante unseating her rider on the second circuit, Iroko was his sole challenger through the closing stages.

The runner-up was two-and-a-half lengths adrift of the winner jumping the second last and stayed there, Skelton able to take in the view on the run-in as Grey Dawning scored in style.

“I’m just glad he’s back on track really but he jumped unbelievably well,” the winning rider told ITV Racing.

“I think he’s happier on this ground. We always felt very testing ground doesn’t really suit him. Look the Betfair Chase is now well in the past, he’s back on track and that was a good performance giving weight to Iroko. I was absolutely delighted with him.

“As a jockey that’s all you can ask for is what he gave me round there. He jumped brilliantly and was a great ride. Its nice to have the horse’s head back in front. We’re back.”

Dan Skelton added: “I'm absolutely delighted. He jumped beautifully and we felt we had him in great form. Its just been a frustrating year, the ground went against us at Haydock and fair play to the winner who handles that ground very well, but we’d love to have a go on this sort of ground, you saw how he likes to spring off it.

“He’ll go to Aintree now. He’s a very, very good horse. We’d love to have a go at the Gold Cup in the future, I know we haven’t gone down that route this year but we just felt this was the right thing to do for the horse and now we’ll have a really good competitor for Aintree.

“Hopefully we can put on a good show there. If he goes to Aintree and does very well and next autumn we get to Haydock and it isn’t as soft we can have a better start to the year and then we’d be all systems go for a Gold Cup.

“Hopefully we’ll get a smoother run at it and have a crack then.”

Greenall in no rush to commit Iroko to National

Iroko was left unchanged at 12/1 for the Randox Grand National by Paddy Power but co-trainer Oliver Greenall was in no rush to commit JP McManus' charge to the race.

"We’ll have to have a chat. He just got close to a couple but on the whole jumped well and Jonjo (O’Neill Junior) just said around this track it just felt a little bit sharp for him," he said.

“He’s always travels well in his races and didn’t travel quite as well today but I think that’s probably the track. “

When asked what would stop him going to Aintree, Greenall told ITV Racing: “Just his age and inexperience really and what JP wants to do. In my opinion he’d be absolutely fine but we’ll have to see what the owners want to do. I’m still confident about the trip in the National. Even today he came off the bridle and Jonjo slapped him down the neck at the last down the back and he’s come back on the bridle turning in and kept galloping all the way to the line.”

Analysis: Skelton plays the long game

GREY DAWNING needed a confidence boost after being pulled up in the King George on his last start and he got it at Kelso in the bet365 Premier Chase.

While Dan Skelton’s horse went off the 5/6 favourite in the field of four, punters weren’t entirely convinced, with Grand National hopeful Iroko going off 2/1 and even the 136-rated mare El Elefante from the Lucinda Russell yard sent off at 4s.

But Grey Dawning was entitled to be a strong favourite on his best form – namely his Hampton Court and Turners Novices’ Chase wins from last season, as well as his Betfair Chase second from this – and he put in a commanding performance befitting of his best-horse-in-race status.

Pestered on the front end by the course winner El Elefante on the first circuit, she failed to upset his rhythm and she had dropped a couple of lengths off him when getting too close into the 12th where she departed.

In contrast Grey Dawning enjoyed himself up front, jumping fluently while attacking his fences, Iroko happy to sit in behind as Jonjo O’Neill Jr waited to mount his challenge.

Two from home was when Iroko was pulled out from the slipstream to try and attack Grey Dawning, but he didn’t have the extra gear, Harry Skelton’s look over his right shoulder on the turn to the penultimate fence the signal for the screw being turned and the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained horse simply didn’t have a response.

The pat down the neck from Skelton crossing the line said it all, the eight-year-old is back on track after winning this Listed prize in cruise control without so much as being shown the whip.

He could take some beating in the Aintree Bowl with the big guns in the division locking horns in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup 20 days earlier and a Grade 1 in his first season out of novice company would be job done.

In the long-term, he could well be a Gold Cup contender in 12 months’ time. Time will tell if Skelton’s patience is rewarded with the ultimate prize. (Ben Linfoot)

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