Skelton Sets Out National Ambition For Panic Attack

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


Anxiety attack rewarded the vibrant marketing 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 trip for the first time.


The Randox Grand National has actually for that reason 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," stated Skelton.


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


"If we fancy 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 up until now was Grey Dawning's Betfair Chase victory, in which he reversed the kind with Royale Pagaille having actually ended up the runner-up behind him 12 months prior.


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


The Cheltenham Gold Cup now waits for the eight-year-old, who will prepare for the pinnacle 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 and I was truly lured by it, but 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 actually stepped up to the mark, it was a fantastic run at Haydock and we'll be wishing to reproduce one of those a couple of more times."