Skelton Sets Out National Ambition For Anxiety Attack

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


Anxiety attack rewarded the vibrant 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 showed her endurance over a prolonged three-mile-two-furlong trip for the very first time.


The Randox Grand National has therefore entered into focus for the mare, with preparations most likely to include a trip to Newbury and possibly 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 potentially go to Kelso en path to the Grand National, that's our objective.


"If we elegant having a go at 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 team this term so far was Grey Dawning's Betfair Chase success, in which he reversed the kind with Royale Pagaille having 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 get ready for the peak of the National Hunt season with a run in the Cotswold Chase at the exact same track in January rather of a previously mooted trip to Ireland for the Savills Chase.


"I had the entry for him in Ireland and I was actually tempted by it, but on balance we thought it was more practical to keep him this side of the Irish Sea before his Gold Cup quote," 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 to duplicate one of those a couple of more times."