- Trainer Dan Skelton had originally looked set to pull the gelding out of the chase
- Grey Dawning is now set to feature after making a rapid recovery in the stables
- The star horse is now set to feature in the iconic King George VI chase
Dan Skelton will attack the King George VI Chase with Grey Dawning after the gelding’s outstanding physical condition made the trainer dramatically change his plans.
Grey Dawning finished second in last month’s Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, going down by two lengths to Royale Pagaille in attritional conditions; the huge effort he expanded left Skelton thinking he would need a significant period of recovery.
But Skelton, who was on track at Haydock on Wednesday to watch his exciting novice hurdler Royal Infantry maintain his unbeaten record, has needed to reassess such is the way Grey Dawning has thrived in the last 10 days when returning to work.
It was Skelton’s initial to give Kempton on Boxing Day a wide berth but now he is fully focused on trying to win the Christmas showpiece for the first time and has confidence Grey Dawning will be up to the task.
‘I cannot believe how well he has come out of the Betfair Chase,’ said Skelton. ‘I really can’t. That is not the trainer being hopeful. This is me telling you I am really surprised about how he is doing. I’m under no pressure from the owners to run at Kempton.
‘But he did two canters on Tuesday and Tom Messenger, who rides him every day, is staggered how well he has come out of it. As it stands, he is going to Kempton. Before I was thinking about it; now he is definitely going (unless something happens otherwise).
Dan Skelton will attack the King George VI Chase with Grey Dawning after the gelding’s outstanding physical condition convinced the trainer
Skelton wanted to give Kempton on Boxing Day a wide berth but now he is fully focused on trying to win the Christmas showpiece with Grey Dawning
‘It’s an open looking race. He’s won over hurdles at Kempton. I thought he was superb in the Betfair and the only thing he didn’t do was get home from two fences out in that (bad) ground.
‘I take nothing away from the winner but he had his conditions. Hopefully we’ll get ours at some point.’
Skelton is setting the pace in the race to become Champion Trainer and he will be winning plenty of big prizes in the coming months. Royal Infantry received quotes from Paddy Power for the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham and he wouldn’t be out of place in the field.
‘I was just really happy to see him win that in a professional manner,’ said Skelton. ‘It took him four or five strides to pick up but, when he did, he was off and gone. We might go to Aintree on Boxing Day with him or wait for The Rossington Main Hurdle here in January.’
