Betfair Chase Antepost Betting: Dawning of a new star for Skeltons

• Grade 1 winner Grey Dawning early favourite to win Betfair Chase

• Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls has a couple of likely contenders

• Royale Pagaille fancied if turning up to defend his crown

Dawning favourite to make it a Grey day at Haydock

The Dan Skelton-trained Grey Dawning is the early 15/82.88 favourite to win the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday 23 November.

Last season's Turners Novices' Chase winner at the Cheltenham Festival, Grey Dawning will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of stablemate Protektorat who won the Betfair Chase for Harry and Dan Skelton in 2022.

An improving 7yo, Grey Dawning followed his Grade 1 Cheltenham success with a slightly disappointing third behind Il Etait Temps in the Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree the following month. However, his season as a whole was deemed a success with three victories - two in Graded company - from his six starts over fences, and never finishing out of the frame in the other three.

Stepping out of novice company, Grey Dawning, who will relish Haydock's stamina test if the usual soft or heavy appears in the going description come race day, is expected to be a major contender in this season's top class staying division.

Youth and experience to the fore

The Betfair Chase is the first Grade 1 contest of the season in the UK and has been won by some of the National Hunt's biggest stars, both as up-and-coming chasers and experienced campaigners.

The legendary Kauto Star - trained by Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls - first won the Betfair Chase in 2006 before going on to win five King George VI Chases and two Cheltenham Gold Cups. He returned to Haydock to taste success in three more Betfair Chases, standing him out as the most prolific winner of the contest.

Both Cue Card and Bristol De Mai are also multiple winners of the Betfair Chase, winning it as relative youngsters before coming back to win it as experienced chasers in their later years.

Nicholls has another up-and-coming chaser expected to line up in this year's contest in the shape of Ginny's Destiny. The 8yo - who can be backed at 10/111.00 in the antepost market - clashed heads with Grey Dawning three times last season, finishing ahead of that rival on two occasions but finishing runner-up to him at the Cheltenham Festival.

Royale fancied to defend his crown

Last year's winner of the Betfair Chase, Royale Pagaille, is reportedly on course to defend his crown after suffering a set-back in his only other outing last season, for which he is available to back at 5/16.00.

The Venitia Williams-trained 10yo got the better of Bravemansgame 8/19.00 and defending champion Protektorat last year, but then suffered a season-ending injury in the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase in January. He hasn't been seen since.

Other leading contenders should they line up include the highly-talented Ahoy Senor 5/16.00, who was last seen finishing a narrow runner-up in the Grade 1 Bowl Chase at Aintree, and the exciting staying chaser Corbetts Cross 6/17.00, who was a facile winner of the National Hunt Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival last season.

The Betfair Chase Antepost Betting:

- Grey Dawning 15/82.88
- Ahoy Senor 5/16.00
- Royale Pagaille 5/16.00
- Corbetts Cross 6/17.00
- Bravemansgame 8/19.00
- L'Homme Presse 8/19.00
- Ginny's Destiny 10/111.00
- Iroko 12/113.00
- BAR 14/115.00

*odds correct as of Thursday 26 September

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