Haydock card shaping up as entries revealed for Betfair Chase Day at Haydock plus Ascot Hurdle

Dawning of a star, or another profitable French exchange?

Those closest to the grey are seemingly at pains to stress it’s not crunch-time for Grey Dawning in Saturday’s Betfair Chase.

It’s the young horse's opening run of the season, after all, and it’s his first campaign outside of novice company too having gone straight from the Sefton at Aintree (in which he fell) in April 2023 into a novice chase just 12 months ago. Doesn’t time fly.

He’s entitled to be a bit rusty, the ground might not be soft enough, and a few of his principal form rivals have already had a run (or two) this time around.

But if he’s a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse - and you certainly sense that Dan Skelton feels this may be the closest he’s come to training a legitimate contender for top spot in the top contest - then it’s not a million miles from crunch-time, is it?

With Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow set to renew rivalry around 23 hours later in the John Durkan at Punchestown, there’s no escaping the fact Grey Dawning could be some way off the Gold Cup pace - as it were - should he be beaten by Ahoy Senor, Hewick, Bravemansgame or reigning champ Royale Pagaille at Haydock on Saturday.

He’s 16/1 for the Gold Cup and currently the shortest-priced British-based horse; what odds are we looking at if he fails to fire here, 33s?

JP McManus has left in Limerick Lace and supplemented Capodanno – for trainers Gavin Cromwell and Willie Mullins respectively, of course – but the real curveball may be Gold Tweet, who is reportedly bang on target for a return to the UK having last been seen here contesting two major long-distance hurdle races in 2023, winning the Cleeve from Dashel Drasher before finishing eighth behind Sire Du Berlais in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.

He's continued to mix hurdles and fences in eight subsequent starts at home, winning twice, and ran an eyecatching race when fifth in a Grade 3 chase over two and three-quarter miles at Auteuil last time out on October 19.

His trainer Gabriel Leenders reminded everyone of his prowess by plundering the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham with Sweet David last week, and the sponsors could be taking a bit of a chance in dangling 12/1 about the French raider this weekend.

Road to the National starts here…

Grey Dawning won the Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase on his second start over fences last year and Iroko stands out among 11 five-day acceptors this year.

We’ve been hearing for a while now that Grand National horses are getting younger and classier as the years go by and the six-year-old Iroko is already being talked up as a potential candidate this season. He will have gained considerable benefit from the experience of racing in Grade 1 novice company at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring. To say he wasn’t disgraced on the latter occasion would be an understatement.

The giant - and sadly injury-prone - Hillcrest, who has been off for more than two years, and Kim Bailey’s Trelawne, are two of the more interesting ones in opposition to Iroko, though Tahmuras - a Tolworth winner in the past - could be in line for this too and he’s one to keep in mind after Paul Nicholls stated races like the December Gold Cup could be on his agenda next month.

Progressive handicappers at every turn

Plotting away for the most valuable handicaps is something in which Dan Skelton has become a master since flying the nest at Ditcheat and, on a brilliant card for punters and purists alike, it's no surprise to see he's got a handful of options to run in the Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle.

Skelton seemed fairly adamant that last Saturday’s Cheltenham winner Doyen Quest would probably be in line to double up if taking his exertions as well as hoped, although the weather could be interesting and there is ample back-up through mud-loving pair Punta Del Este and Catch Him Derry, who have also both had a run this autumn. Catch Him Derry looks a future chaser of the highest calibre.

Gweenie May Boy, who beat Catch Him Derry at Bangor in February before adding to his tally with handicap wins at Uttoxeter in mid-March and Aintree’s National meeting in April, is also among the most exciting young horses at the Skelton yard and it would be no surprise if he lived up to his revised (up another 11lb to 137) mark in due course.

David Pipe’s Phantomofthepoints, a non-runner at Cheltenham’s November Meeting and also engaged in the Betfair Racing Podcasts Handicap Hurdle over a shorter trip earlier on at Haydock, is another fascinating entry on what should be a hugely informative afternoon.

Golden days ahead for highly promising mare

The quality isn’t quite so high at Ascot but the Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy and Jeremy Scott’s admirable Dashel Drasher lead the charge among eight names in the Copybet 1965 Chase.

The other Grade 2 on the programme – the Ascot Hurdle over two miles, three and a half furlongs – features Scott’s newest stable star, Golden Ace.

The mare carried all before her in an undefeated 4-4 novice hurdle campaign, beating Brighterdaysahead in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham before proving that no fluke with a striking win at the April meeting. I'm sure the Festival race is one her connections have relived several times since - you can do likewise below.

The daughter of Golden Horn has “one hell of an engine” according to her trainer and time will tell whether it has remained fully intact heading into what could be a very interesting year.

It’s hoped she’s campaigned aggressively and this looks a suitably bold starting point in against the likes of Thunder Rock (Olly Murphy), Gary and Josh Moore’s smart juvenile from last year Salver, plus the 2023 winner Blueking d’Oroux (Nicholls).

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