Skelton Sets Out National Ambition For Anxiety Attack

Plans are afoot for the Skelton stable success to extend into spring as both Anxiety attack and Grey Dawning have headline aspirations, 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 two weeks, the latter of which showed her endurance over a prolonged three-mile-two-furlong trip for the first time.


The Randox Grand National has therefore come into focus for the mare, with preparations likely to consist of a journey to Newbury and perhaps 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," stated Skelton.


"Then she will possibly go to Kelso en path to the Grand National, that's our objective.


"If we fancy the mares' chase at the Cheltenham Festival then we might, however 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 success, 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 peak of the National Hunt season with a run in the Cotswold Chase at the same track in January instead 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, however on balance we believed it was more practical to keep him this side of the Irish Sea before his Gold Cup quote," stated Skelton.


"He's a horse who has actually stepped up to the mark, it was an excellent run at Haydock and we'll be intending to reproduce one of those a couple of more times."