Skelton Sets Out National Ambition For Anxiety Attack

Plans are afoot for the Skelton stable success to extend into spring as both Panic Attack and Grey Dawning have headline ambitions, 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 trip for the very 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 possibly Kelso as she is prepared for the world's greatest steeplechase in April.


Panic 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 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 securely set on the Grand National."


Another success story for the Skelton group this term up until now 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 prepare for the peak of the National Hunt season with a run in the Cotswold Chase at the very 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 really tempted by it, however on balance we believed it was more to keep him this side of the Irish Sea before his Gold Cup quote," stated Skelton.


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