Skelton Sets Out National Ambition For Panic Attack

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


Anxiety attack rewarded the bold campaigning of Dan Skelton and owner Bryan Drew when taking both the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup within 2 weeks, the latter of which proved her endurance over an extended three-mile-two-furlong journey for the first time.


The Randox Grand National has actually therefore entered into focus for the mare, with preparations likely to include a trip to Newbury and potentially Kelso as she is prepared 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," stated Skelton.


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


"If we fancy attempting the mares' chase at the Cheltenham Festival then we might, however our sights are strongly 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 kind with Royale Pagaille having actually completed 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 instead of a previously mooted journey to Ireland for the Savills Chase.


"I had the entry for him in Ireland and I was actually lured by it, however on balance we believed it was more practical to keep him this side of the Irish Sea before his Gold Cup bid," said Skelton.


"He's a horse who has stepped up to the mark, it was an run at Haydock and we'll be intending to duplicate among those a couple of more times."