Grey Dawning: Profile, Record, Age & Best Races

Grey Dawning emerged as one of Britain's leading chasing prospects last season and connections will be hoping that he can spring a surprise at the Cheltenham Festival.

Name: Grey Dawning

Age: 8

Weight: 11st 10lb

Trainer: Dan Skelton

Winnings: £329,800

Cheltenham Festival wins: 1

Grey Dawning race stats

Runs	1st	2nd	3rd
16	9	3	2

Grey Dawning Age

Grey Dawning is an eight-year-old gelding, bred by Grange Stud. He is by the sire Flemensfirth and his dam is Lady Wagtail.

Grey Dawning Record

Grey Dawning made his debut at the tail end of 2021, in a bumper at Wetherby. He won that race at odds of 9/2, beating Sporting Ace who has gone on to become a useful marathon chaser.

He returned to the same track in March 2022 for his second and final appearance in bumpers. He won again, at cramped odds this time, and was put away for a novice hurdle campaign the following season.

After being turned over at odds-on when making his hurdling debut, Grey Dawning won his next two races. The second was a handicap at Kempton on King George day. He then won the Grade 2 Leamington Novices' Hurdle at Warwick, a race his trainer Dan Skelton had a fine record in.

Sent off 5/1 for the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree, Grey Dawning fell at the ninth and therefore finished his hurdles career with a sense of what might have been.

Given he is by Flemensfirth, one of the preeminent sires of chasers of his generation, Grey Dawning was always likely to make a better chaser. He was beaten by Stay Away Fay on debut, then won at Haydock and was second at Cheltenham on his next two starts. Those were real improvements in form terms, but his jumping was sketchy both times.

He then won the Hampton at Warwick, jumping with real dash. As a result, he was sent off favourite for the Golden Miller at the Cheltenham Festival. He rewarded his backers with a hard-fought success over old rival Ginny's Destiny.

Sent off 15/8 favourite for the Betfair Chase on his seasonal return, Grey Dawning travelled like thunder but was unable to beat off course specialist Royale Pagaille.

A bad early mistake soon put paid to his chances in the King George, but he returned to form in March by winning the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso.

Grey Dawning Next Race

Grey Dawning's only entry at the Cheltenham Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday 14th March.

Grey Dawning Owner and Cost

Grey Dawning is owned by Robert Kirkland and has been throughout his racing career. He was bought at the Tattersalls Ireland horses in training sales in August 2020, at a cost of €40,000.

Grey Dawning Trainer

Even without Grey Dawning really living up to his promise so far this season, his trainer Dan Skelton looks to be on track to land his first British jumps trainers title, having been second to Willie Mullins in 2023/24.

Skelton is the son of gold medal-winning Olympian Nick Skelton and has been training since 2014. Before then, he was assistant to the multiple champion trainer Paul Nicholls, with whom he still enjoys a seemingly friendly rivalry.

Grey Dawning Official Rating

Grey Dawning shot up to a career-high BHA rating of 165 after he finished second to Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase. That has since slipped back to 162 after subsequent outings at Kempton and Kelso.

Grey Dawning Prize Money

The eight-year-old has earned £329,800 in his career to date. Around a third of that came from his success in last year's Golden Miller. He also earned over £44,000 for finishing second in the Betfair Chase.

Grey Dawning News

Having been heralded as Britain's only realistic winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on 14th March, Grey Dawning could now skip the Cheltenham Festival entirely and head to Aintree, where he has suffered plenty of misfortune in his previous two campaigns over jumps. 

Dan Skelton recently told the Racing Post: "The Gold Cup is a hard race and I'd hate to take him there and give him the ultimately hard race that empties the barrel for the future."

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