Grey Dawning may be our only hope against the Irish in the Cheltenham Gold Cup – but all will be revealed this weekend

WHEN Nina Simone sang ‘It’s a caller dawn, it’s a caller day, and I’m feeling good’ she wasn't reasoning astir racing astatine Haydock today.

But the American singer-songwriter mightiness good person been.

Because this day we find retired if determination is simply a Grey Dawning to get excited astir this jumps play arsenic Dan Skelton’s dashing seven-year-old faces a fig of established aged hands successful the diagnostic ITV broadcast Grade 1 Betfair Chase.

It won’t beryllium casual for the lad of Flemensfirth, who jumped for amusive erstwhile getting up precocious to contradict Ginny’s Destiny successful the Turners Novices’ Chase astatine the Cheltenham Festival.

Taking him connected successful a heavy tract of 9 is defending champion Royale Pagaille, the enigmatic Ahoy Senor, supplemented Capodanno, King George leader Hewick arsenic good arsenic acquainted names similar Bravemansgame and The Real Whacker.

But if Britain has a equine to enactment up to Galopin des Champs and galore different Irish stars successful the Gold Cup astatine Cheltenham successful March, past galore judge it volition beryllium Grey Dawning.

One happening we cognize is Harry Skelton’s equine is not unbeatable.

I’ve loved him since helium romped location arsenic a hurdler successful the mud astatine Warwick backmost successful January of 2023.

But aft Cheltenham helium got stuffed astatine Aintree, finishing good down Il Etait Temps with Ginny’s Destiny reversing Festival signifier successful 2nd place.

That race, the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, was implicit 2 and a fractional miles and it’s today’s travel of an extended 3 miles and a furlong that volition springiness connections anticipation Grey Dawning tin amended connected his existent people of 157. He mightiness good do. And helium volition request to.

Rain could travel successful clip for Royale Pagaille if the forecast is correct. You can’t disregard the Venetia Williams runner successful mud, who is connected a people of 165.

Ahoy Senor is tricky to measurement up. So overmuch endowment but helium keeps his champion for Aintree and bully ground. Rain won’t assistance him but the endowment is successful determination somewhere.

In immoderate ways I consciousness Bravemansgame is the eachway value. He’s not won since 2022, and has been costly to travel successful caller times.

Added to which, helium was a flop erstwhile 2nd successful this past twelvemonth where, not for the archetypal time, helium didn’t enactment connected that well.

However, the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up is agelong likelihood for a equine rated 165, blinkers connected and with a caller jockey successful Sam Twiston-Davies. Let’s anticipation they get connected well!

The irony for Twisty present is that he’s up against The Real Whacker who helium erstwhile booted location astatine Cheltenham successful the 2023 Brown Advisory.

Twiston-Davies wasn’t disposable erstwhile Pat Neville’s prima landed the Charlie Hall, and Brian Hughes keeps the equine having scored astatine Wetherby. Funny aged game.

Twiston-Davies is connected Bravemansgame due to the fact that Nicholls’s unchangeable rider Harry Cobden heads to Ascot, wherever I volition beryllium for ITV.

Cobden volition beryllium afloat of anticipation Pic d’Orhy tin instrumentality the Copybet 1965 Chase arsenic helium should person overmuch excessively overmuch gait for Dashel Drasher.

It seems a agelong clip agone now, but this was the contention Shishkin refused to commencement successful past year. Sadly Nicky Henderson’s people enactment is nary longer with us.

Also connected the paper is Golden Ace, Jeremy Scott’s breathtaking mare who banged successful this year’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle astatine Cheltenham.

She past missed Aintree, but went backmost to Cheltenham successful April and scored again astatine abbreviated odds. The victor of 5 of her 7 starts, Golden Ace is breathtaking and gets tons of value from Blueking d’Oroux, Thunder Rock and Salver. The second would beryllium precise absorbing with tons of rain, thing Golden Ace does not want.

Over successful Ireland contiguous it appears Champion Hurdle leader State Man is taking connected close instrumentality Lossiemouth successful the Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle.

Some mightiness deliberation they volition judge it erstwhile they spot it, adjacent though Patrick Mullins is jocked up connected Lossiemouth with Paul Townend opting for State Man. It would beryllium a fascinating clash betwixt the people mare and main man, but I conscionable can’t spot it happening. Surely Lossiemouth volition beryllium pulled out?

Tomorrow it’s the John Durkan Memorial astatine Punchestown successful which headlines circular 7 of dual Gold Cup leader Galopin des Champs against Fastorslow.

Spice is added into the premix with Fact to File, the sensational victor of the 2024 Brown Advisory erstwhile past seen.

I’ve learnt my acquisition present that this travel is simply excessively abbreviated for Galopin des Champs, but I inactive judge he’s a existent champion truthful I’ll measurement successful with him erstwhile again. That mightiness look unusual to some. It does to maine a small bit!

But remember, this is simply a Bravemansgame.

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