WHEN Nina Simone sang ‘It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, and I’m feeling good’ she wasn’t thinking about racing at Haydock today.
But the American singer-songwriter might well have been.
Because this afternoon we find out if there is a Grey Dawning to get excited about this jumps season as Dan Skelton’s dashing seven-year-old faces a number of established old hands in the feature ITV broadcast Grade 1 Betfair Chase.
It won’t be easy for the son of Flemensfirth, who jumped for fun when getting up late to deny Ginny’s Destiny in the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Taking him on in a deep field of nine is defending champion Royale Pagaille, the enigmatic Ahoy Senor, supplemented Capodanno, King George hero Hewick as well as familiar names like Bravemansgame and The Real Whacker.
But if Britain has a horse to put up to Galopin des Champs and many other Irish stars in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March, then many believe it will be Grey Dawning.
One thing we know is Harry Skelton’s mount is not unbeatable.
I’ve loved him since he romped home as a hurdler in the mud at Warwick back in January of 2023.
But after Cheltenham he got stuffed at Aintree, finishing well behind Il Etait Temps with Ginny’s Destiny reversing Festival form in second place.
That race, the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, was over two and a half miles and it’s today’s trip of an extended three miles and a furlong that will give connections hope Grey Dawning can improve on his current mark of 157. He might well do. And he will need to.
Rain could come in time for Royale Pagaille if the forecast is correct. You can’t ignore the Venetia Williams runner in mud, who is on a mark of 165.
Ahoy Senor is tricky to weigh up. So much talent but he keeps his best for Aintree and good ground. Rain won’t help him but the talent is in there somewhere.
In some ways I feel Bravemansgame is the eachway value. He’s not won since 2022, and has been expensive to follow in recent times.
Added to which, he was a flop when second in this last year where, not for the first time, he didn’t stay on that well.
However, the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up is long odds for a horse rated 165, blinkers on and with a new jockey in Sam Twiston-Davies. Let’s hope they get on well!
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The irony for Twisty here is that he’s up against The Real Whacker who he once booted home at Cheltenham in the 2023 Brown Advisory.
Twiston-Davies wasn’t available when Pat Neville’s star landed the Charlie Hall, and Brian Hughes keeps the mount having scored at Wetherby. Funny old game.
Twiston-Davies is on Bravemansgame because Nicholls’s stable rider Harry Cobden heads to Ascot, where I will be for ITV.
Cobden will be full of hope Pic d’Orhy can take the Copybet 1965 Chase as he should have much too much pace for Dashel Drasher.
It seems a long time ago now, but this was the race Shishkin refused to start in last year. Sadly Nicky Henderson’s class act is no longer with us.
Also on the card is Golden Ace, Jeremy Scott’s exciting mare who banged in this year’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
She then missed Aintree, but went back to Cheltenham in April and scored again at short odds. The winner of five of her seven starts, Golden Ace is exciting and gets lots of weight from Blueking d’Oroux, Thunder Rock and Salver. The latter would be very interesting with lots of rain, something Golden Ace does not want.
Over in Ireland today it appears Champion Hurdle hero State Man is taking on right tool Lossiemouth in the Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle.
Some might think they will believe it when they see it, even though Patrick Mullins is jocked up on Lossiemouth with Paul Townend opting for State Man. It would be a fascinating clash between the class mare and main man, but I just can’t see it happening. Surely Lossiemouth will be pulled out?
Tomorrow it’s the John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown in which headlines round seven of dual Gold Cup hero Galopin des Champs against Fastorslow.
Spice is added into the mix with Fact to File, the sensational winner of the 2024 Brown Advisory when last seen.
I’ve learnt my lesson now that this trip is simply too short for Galopin des Champs, but I still believe he’s a true champion so I’ll weigh in with him once again. That might seem odd to some. It does to me a little bit!
But remember, this is a Bravemansgame.
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