Daryl Jacob has named Grey Dawning as his selection for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Jacob believes the 16-1 chance can shock the field. He also thinks a win would all but seal a maiden trainers’ championship for Dan Skelton.
Jacob’s Reasoning Behind Grey Dawning Pick
Jacob said it’s been Grey Dawning’s one target all year. He added that on official ratings, the horse isn’t that far behind the rest of the field.
Jacob believes Grey Dawning is fresh and well. He suggests punters should forget the last run against Spillane’s Tower because they didn’t want to run him that day, and this race has been the plan.
“I expect him to be fully tuned up, and Harry [Skelton] will ride for a place and then try to pick up the pieces. He’s overpriced,” Jacob said.
Jacob also stated he isn’t convinced on form alone how strong the King George is at the moment. He is taking them on at those prices.
“They’re going to go hard, and I think we’ll have a bit of pace in this race. Harry is riding so well, and there won’t be any pressure on him with Grey Dawning, while Inothewayurthinkin will be dropped in off a fast pace,” Jacob added.
Other Contenders in the Gold Cup
Betting editor Keith Melrose is also expecting a big performance from Grey Dawning. However, he is siding with Rebecca Curtis and Haiti Couleurs for the main event.
Melrose said he backed Haiti Couleurs earlier in the year and is hoping he wins. He noted that Sean Bowen had to go a right gallop in the Welsh National, and this horse has a lot of class.
Gaelic Warrior is the 5-2 favourite. Melrose and Charlie Poste are keen to take on the Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old.
Melrose said he thinks Gaelic Warrior should be the favourite. He’s been consistent, and he’s proved he stays just as much as you can without actually staying in a Gold Cup, but Melrose won’t be backing him at 5-2. “We’ve seen his ceiling a bit, which makes me not get involved at that price,” he said.
Poste said he can’t really see Gaelic Warrior winning the Gold Cup. He wonders when push comes to shove at the end of this extended three and a quarter miles, whether that’ll be what he truly wants. Poste doesn’t think he’s good enough in this setup. He can see him travelling through the race, but wonders if there will be horses more resolute at the end.
Grey Dawning began his season with Grade 1 success in the Betfair Chase at Haydock. He then suffered a surprise defeat to Spillane’s Tower in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Trials day.
Jacob rode three winners at the Cheltenham Festival during his career as a jockey.
The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup is the feature race on the final day of the festival.