Grey Dawning perfectly executed a drop back in trip to get the better of a fascinating duel with long-time leader Solness in the JCB Melling Chase at Aintree.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Solness – who was moving up from two miles – took up his customary front-running position and disputed the early lead with Gidleigh Park before asserting his authority down the back straight, moving around two lengths clear.
But Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning, who was last seen finishing a brave fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, was racing enthusiastically and jumping well, always waiting in the wings to launch his challenge.
Harry Skelton moved the 5-1 chance to the front with two fences to out and he jumped into the lead over the last, but Solness refused to wilt and a thrilling battle ensued with Grey Dawning’s stamina seeing him edge a neck verdict.
On the decision to drop back to two and a half miles, rather than contesting the Aintree Bowl over three miles on Thursday, Dan Skelton said: “I was always going to come to this. What we were doing we were doing well at, but we weren’t quite winning, so you have to change things and try something different.
“We turned for home in a Gold Cup second and couldn’t quite win it, so we then had to start boxing clever and we felt dropping back in trip was the right thing to do.
“We didn’t put the cheekpieces on because he’s ungenuine, they were just a little something extra over this trip – you might as well have them and not need them than need them and not have them.
“We felt he’d really see out the trip, which he needed to. You saw two great horses having a right good go and all credit to Solness – being in front the whole way, what a horse to put in a run like that.
“It was our day in the end and it’s a great outcome for a phenomenal owner (Robert Kirkland). He’s been through the mill a bit, unfortunately his wife died a couple of weeks ago. He’s a very patient man, everyone deserves their go sometimes and he’s had his go.
“He’s been a great horse and he knows how to dance the big dances now. We’re not quite good enough to win a Gold Cup, but we can dance some other dances.”
Jockey J J Slevin was proud of the performance of Solness in defeat, saying: “It was a great run, Joseph brought him here in great shape.
“I knew he’d keep fighting and he did in fairness, but the winner is a good horse.
“He’s a very good horse on his day.”
Henry de Bromhead said of the Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood, who was beaten into third as a 6-5 favourite: “I’d say it it all just happened a bit quick over a furlong shorter on a sharper track.
“He’s probably always been more of two-and-a-half to three-miler than a two to two-and-a-half horse, but he stayed on really well.
“We’ll go to Down Royal over three miles early next season and we’ll investigate that now. He’s had a fantastic year, we’d obviously love to win but he’s had a great season.”
Jo Tizzard was also pleased with JPR One in fourth, saying: “He’s run another great race but he just comes up a bit shy in Grade Ones.
“He’s had a great season, it’s unfair to call him a fun horse really because he’s better than that.
“He’s rated 160 though, which is a lot of weight in handicaps.”
Gold Dancer suffers fatal injury in Aintree victory
Connections reflected on a “hollow victory” after Gold Dancer suffered a fatal injury in winning the William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase.
The 100-30 joint-favourite under Paul Townend, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old engaged in a thrilling duel with Regent’s Stroll from a long way out in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud.
Gold Dancer
Gold Dancer saw him off from the second fence from home and while he sprawled on landing after making a bad mistake at the last, he stayed on his feet and kept going to score by four and three-quarter lengths.
However, upon pulling up it was soon clear the winner had suffered a serious injury and while the on-course veterinary team were quick to come to his aid, he could not be saved.
“Unfortunately he broke his back and they put him down,” said Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary.
“Paul said he made one mistake and he felt nothing and he kept going to the line no problem. It was just when he pulled up, unfortunately.
“It was an unbelievable performance, he jumped brilliantly bar one little mistake.
“It’s a hollow victory now, the poor horse didn’t deserve that.”
Regent’s Stroll was a clear second and his trainer Paul Nicholls said: “That was a good run. They both took each other on a little bit, but there’s a lot to look forward to with him.
“He’ll be more the finished article next year, so I’m really chuffed with that.
“He gets three miles, but he just needs his wind tinkered with in the summer as that should mean he finishes stronger.”
His jockey Harry Cobden added: “Hopefully he can keep on improving, pick up some nice handicaps along the way like the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup) and then potentially maybe run in a King George, I was very pleased with him.”
Salver, the other joint-favourite, stayed on late for third place.