Dan Skelton’s charge set to make his eagerly-awaited reappearance at Haydock on Saturday.
The Dan Skelton-trained Grey Dawning will take on eight rivals as he bids to make his return to action a winning one in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.
Last year's Turners' Novices' Chase winner failed to take up entries in the Charlie Hall Chase and Colin Parker Memorial Chase in recent weeks due to unsuitable ground conditions and although Haydock's going description is currently good, good to soft in places, with the likelihood of up to 20mm of rain in the coming days, conditions are expected to ease considerably.
The striking grey, who landed graduation chase on this card twelve months ago, is the 7/4 favourite with Paddy Power and the current shortest-priced Boodles Gold Cup contender trained in Britain at 16-1.
Shark Hanlon's Hewick, who was only narrowly pegged back by Envoi Allen on his reappearance at Down Royal, will be reunited with Gavin Sheehan for the first time since they teamed up to claim last season's King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, while JP McManus' Capodanno will give trainer Willie Mullins his first runner in the opening Grade 1 of the British jumps season. The famous green and gold hooped silks will also be carried by Gavin Cromwell Mares' Chase winner Limerick Lace.
Last year's Cleeve Hurdle scorer Gold Tweet flies the flag for France, with the first two home in the Charlie Hall Chase, The Real Whacker and Bravemansgame, also set to take their chance. The latter will sport first-time blinkers and be ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies with Harry Coden travelling to Ascot to partner Pic D'Orhy in his bid to claim back-to-back wins in the 1965 Chase.
Last year's winner Royale Pagaille only finds Grey Dawning ahead of him in the market as he attempts to enhance an excellent record at the Merseyside venue, while Ahoy Senor has the benefit of a recent run after an eye-catching third-place finish behind Old Roan Chase winner Minella Drama, who was the only horse not to declare.
Six horses have been declared for the Graduation Chase on the undercard, with Hillcrest set to make his first start for 981 days for Henry Daly. An impressive Grade 2 winner at the track in February 2022, he has not been seen on the track since pulling up in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival a month later. Henry Daly's charge will take on Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase runner-up Iroko, Kim Bailey's Trelawne, the Paul Nicholls-trained Tahmuras, Deafening Silence for the Skelton's and Lieutenant Command.
Paddy Power: 7-4 Grey Dawning, 9-2 Royale Pagaille, 5 Ahoy Senor, 9 Hewick, 10 Capodanno, 12 Limerick Lace, 14 Bravemansgame, The Real Whacker, 20 Gold Tweet
