The top-tier chasers took centre stage at the weekend, with a pair of Grade 1 contests lighting up Saturday’s card from Haydock and the Sunday offering from Punchestown.
The Betfair Chase and John Durkan Memorial Chase are fine prizes in their own right, but much of the post-race talk centred around the Cheltenham Festival prospects of the contenders. So who enhanced their claims for the March showpiece, and who saw their reputation dented?
Royal Repeat Downs Skelton Star
Held over a trip just a furlong shy of the Cheltenham Gold Cup distance, Haydock’s Betfair Chase regularly attracts runners who contest the King George VI Chase on their way to a shot at the Cheltenham Festival’s headline act. The 2024 edition had no standout contender for the big one. However, many believed there was a horse in the mix who may be Britain’s best hope of wresting the prize from the Irish.
That horse was the Dan Skelton-trained Grey Dawning. Kicking off his 2023/24 campaign in a Class 2 handicap, this resolute galloper shot through the ranks to pick up a Grade 2 at Warwick and the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival. Hopes were high that he could make his presence felt in open company in 2024/25.
Betfair Chase 2024 Racecard
| Number | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahoy Senor | 8/1 | Derek Fox | Lucinda Russell |
| 2 | Bravemansgame | 8/1 | Paul Nicholls | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 3 | Capodanno | 20/1 | Willie Mullins | Brian Hayes |
| 4 | Gold Tweet | 10/1 | Gabriel Leenders | Gabin Meunier |
| 5 | Grey Dawning | 15/8F | Dan Skelton | Harry Skelton |
| 6 | Hewick | Non-Runner | John Joseph Hanlon | – |
| 7 | Royale Pagaille | 11/4 | Venetia Williams | Charlie Deutsch |
| 8 | The Real Whacker | Non-Runner | Patrick Neville | – |
| 9 | Limerick Lace | 13/2 | Gavin Cromwell | Keith Donoghue |
The market believed in the striking grey gelding, with the mount of Harry Skelton sent off as the 15/8F. And, in the end, he ran pretty well. Just not well enough to repel the returning champion Royal Pagaille.
This Venetia Williams-trained 10-year-old boasted strong form claims on that six-and-a-half-length romp in 2023. However, he subsequently fractured his shoulder in the Cotswold Chase and was making his first appearance in 301 days here. That lack of race fitness briefly looked like being decisive when Grey Dawning headed Royal Pagaille in the straight. Unfortunately for favourite backers, Royal Pagaille demonstrated that his shoulder and heart were in fine working order as he rallied to pull two lengths clear at the line. A fine training performance from Venetia Williams and a notable result for owner Rich Ricci, who registered his 100th Grade 1 success – 98 supplied by Willie Mullins and two by Royal Pagaille.
Betfair Chase 2024 Result
| Position | Horse | Distance to Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Royale Pagaille | – |
| 2nd | Grey Dawning | 2 Lengths |
| 3rd | Bravemansgame | 12 Lengths |
| 4th | Gold Tweet | 18 Lengths |
| 5th | Limerick Lace | 76 Lengths |
| Pulled-Up | Capodanno | – |
| Pulled-Up | Ahoy Senor | – |
Soft ground specialist Royal Pagaille is unlikely to tackle the Gold Cup, but the race seemingly remains on the agenda for Grey Dawning. His trainer stated his delight at this first outing outside of novice company, whilst the odds compilers lengthened his Gold Cup odds only slightly, from a general 14/1 to a best price of 16/1.
File Under Gold Cup Winner?
Sunday saw the focus switch to County Kildare for the second day of Punchestown’s Premiere Weekend. As ever, the John Durkan Memorial Chase topped the bill and, even by its own high standards, attracted a mouthwatering field.
At 2m3½f, the John Durkan trip is significantly shorter than that of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Nevertheless, the race has served as the seasonal starting point for Gold Cup king Galopin Des Champs in the past two seasons. The return of the Willie Mullins star added significant interest once again, but he was just one member of an intriguing cast.
John Durcan Memorial Chase 2024 Racecard
| Number | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Lord | Non-Runner | Willie Mullins | – |
| 2 | Fact To File | 7/2 | Willie Mullins | Mark Walsh |
| 3 | Fastorslow | 6/4F | Martin Brassil | Derek O’Connor |
| 4 | Galopin Des Champs | 16/5 | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 5 | Grangeclare West | 12/1 | Willie Mullins | Patrick Mullins |
| 6 | Inothewayurthinkin | 22/1 | Gavin Cromwell | Keith Donoghue |
| 7 | Journey With Me | 11/1 | Henry de Bromhead | Darragh O’Keeffe |
| 8 | Minella Cocooner | 66/1 | Willie Mullins | Danny Mullins |
| 9 | Spillane’s Tower | 18/1 | James Joseph Mangan | Jack Kennedy |
Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow arrived as the defending champion and had since beaten Galopin Des Champs for a third time at this track in the Punchestown Gold Cup; Inothewayurthinkin won at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals last season, and Spillane’s Tower arrived seeking a third Grade 1 on the spin for James Joseph Mangan.
Despite the solid CVs of those named above, the JP McManus-owned Fact To File mastered them all on his first start outside Novice company. Spoken of in glowing terms by a handler who knows a thing or two about good horses, Fact To File swept past long-time leader Galopin Des Champs over the last before displaying an excellent attitude to fend off Spillane’s Tower.
John Durcan Memorial Chase 2024 Result
| Position | Horse | Distance to Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Fact To File | – |
| 2nd | Spillane’s Tower | ½ Length |
| 3rd | Galopin Des Champs | 2¾ Lengths |
| 4th | Fastorslow | 6½ Lengths |
| 5th | Minella Cocooner | 24½ Lengths |
| 6th | Journey With Me | 35½ Lengths |
| 7th | Inothewayurthinkin | 36¼ Lengths |
| Pulled-Up | Grangeclare West | – |
Having shown a liking for Cheltenham with an easy success by almost four lengths in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, the Gold Cup is the ultimate goal for this impressive seven-year-old. On the back of this performance, Fact To File is the new favourite for the most prestigious chase of the season: 4/1 in places on Sunday morning, he is now no bigger than 5/2.
