Skelton Sets Out National Ambition For Anxiety Attack

Plans are afoot for the Skelton stable success to extend into spring as both Anxiety attack and Grey Dawning have headline ambitions, at Aintree and Cheltenham respectively.


rewarded the strong marketing of Dan Skelton and owner Bryan Drew when taking both the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup within two weeks, the latter of which showed her stamina over an extended three-mile-two-furlong journey for the very first time.


The Randox Grand National has therefore come into focus for the mare, with preparations most likely to consist of a journey to Newbury and potentially Kelso as she is readied for the world's biggest steeplechase in April.


Anxiety attack winning the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury (Steven Paston/PA)


"She's going to go to Newbury in January, there's a mares' race for her there," said Skelton.


"Then she will potentially go to Kelso en path to the Grand National, that's our aim.


"If we elegant attempting the mares' chase at the Cheltenham Festival then we might, but our sights are firmly set on the Grand National."


Another success story for the Skelton team this term so far was Grey Dawning's Betfair Chase triumph, in which he reversed the form with Royale Pagaille having actually finished the runner-up behind him 12 months prior.


Grey Dawning at Aintree last season (Mike Egerton/PA)


The Cheltenham Gold Cup now awaits the eight-year-old, who will get ready for the peak of the National Hunt season with a run in the Cotswold Chase at the same track in January rather of a formerly mooted journey to Ireland for the Savills Chase.


"I had the entry for him in Ireland and I was truly lured by it, but on balance we believed it was more reasonable to keep him this side of the Irish Sea before his Gold Cup quote," stated Skelton.


"He's a horse who has actually stepped up to the mark, it was a fantastic run at Haydock and we'll be intending to replicate one of those a few more times."