Grey Dawning turned in a virtually faultless round of jumping to win the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso.

The four-horse contest was very much billed as a match between the Dan Skelton-trained Grey Dawning and Iroko, who is a leading Grand National contender for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Harry Skelton was positive from the off on 5/6 favourite as the well-supported El Elefante tried to go with him in the early stages, with Jonjo O’Neill jnr happy to sit off the front pair aboard Iroko.

When El Elefante came down at the 12th fence, it was left to Grey Dawning and Iroko to battle it out but the market leader was travelling noticeably well, with Harry Skelton able to take a look over his shoulder with a couple still to jump.

While Iroko did try his best to edge in front, Grey Dawning was just too strong and a fine leap at the last sealed victory, with his rider able to ease down before the line for a two-and-a-half-length victory.

Grey Dawning was having just his third start of the year at Kelso, having run second on deep ground in the Betfair Chase in November before being pulled up when contesting the King George VI Chase at Kempton over Christmas.

Dan Skelton said: “That was really good. We wanted to see him back to what he can do and he jumped beautifully.

“He’s obviously very, very good and everyone knows he’s very, very good – we’ve just not had the conditions and situations to show him off this year.

“After Haydock my feeling was if the ground was different, you’d get a different result. The ground today is what we wish we’d had that day, but fair play to the winner (Royale Pagaille) – he loves that ground and we didn’t.

“I actually felt he’d recovered in time for the King George, but the mistake at the first and the tempo Il Est Francais went, it negated us.

“Today was more our ground, it’s left-handed, there’s lots of ticks in the boxes and he’s put up a really good performance.”

Grey Dawning still holds an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but Skelton intends to head to the Aintree Bowl on April 3rd.

He added: “That Gold Cup picture is for next year. Hopefully this time next year we’re building into something a little different, but we have to do the right things and make the right calls and I feel like we have.

“We’re delighted to be in the position we’re in. We’ve put a little bit back together and I’ve kept saying we’ve got to make sure we have a decent spring with him because he’s one of our flagship horses.

“OK he was a good second in Haydock, but second is second and we want a winner, so to have gone and done that today and looked so impressive was brilliant.”

Iroko was left an unchanged 12/1 shot for the National with Coral and Greenall felt a number of factors had gone against his Aintree contender on this occasion.

He said: “He ran well, Jonjo just felt the track was probably a little bit sharp for him in that sort of grade.

“I walked the track beforehand and watched the first race out there and I thought it would ride almost softer than good to soft, but Jonjo said it felt like good ground on him.

“I was happy with him, but I think today there were no excuses. He’s had a few runs and he’s fit.

“He was up against a good horse and I hope we’re heading for the National – he deserves to go. I think the trip is what he wants as he always seems to be doing his best work at the end.

“He does normally travel a bit better in his races, but they were probably going quite quick.

“He’ll just tick along now and he’s got to jump a National fence.”

Repeat success

Cracking Rhapsody repeated his success of last year in the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle on the same card.

Trained by Ewan Whillans, Cracking Rhapsody was racing off a 13lb higher mark than 12 months ago, but the extra weight proved no barrier to success as he dug deep for Craig Nichol.

Wilful was sent off the 18/5 favourite for the £120,000 race and Jonjo O’Neill jnr was keen to kick on from off, setting a stiff early pace with N’golo which soon began to tell as the race began in earnest.

It looked as though Sean Quinlan had made a winning move when seizing the initiative at the second-last flight on Alnilam, but Cracking Rhapsody was really just getting into gear.

The 12/1 shot kept finding for pressure after jumping the last, eventually coming home a length and a quarter ahead of Alnilam, with Old Gregorian the same distance further back in third.

There is a £100,000 bonus on offer if the winner can follow up at the Cheltenham Festival, and Whillans will give a quick return some consideration.

Aintree option

Jet To Vegas could be bound for the Grand National meeting at Aintree after springing a minor surprise in the bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ Chart Topper was sent off the 5/4 favourite for the Grade 2 contest, with the Lucinda Russell-trained Jet To Vegas sent off a relatively unconsidered 16/1 shot under Derek Fox.

He raced prominently throughout, sitting on the outside of the pacesetting Vanderpoel until that rival started to backpedal at the second-last, leaving Jet To Vegas to strike for home.

It looked as though Patrick Mullins was merely biding his time aboard Chart Topper but when he gave the signal, Jet To Vegas found plenty for pressure, pulling two and a half lengths clear at the line.

Russell said: “He’s lovely, isn’t he? I knew the trip was the right thing for him. He normally has to go right-handed, but it was worth taking our chance here.

“When he was fresh he jumped right-handed, but actually when he was tired he jumped straight.

“I kept thinking he’s running too free, but he’s just got so much class he’s fine.

“He’s not in at Cheltenham and we’ll look at Aintree. I can’t wait to go over fences with him because everything about him says chasing.”

Patrick Mullins, riding at Kelso for the first time, made no excuses for the runner-up.

He said: “He ran a cracker and it’s actually a faster track that I had imagined watching the replays.

“My fella has jumped well and travelled well and the winner has just beaten us, no excuses.

“We followed him all the way, he was jumping to his right and I was jumping a little to my right.

“I would say for us it’s yielding ground – it’s more good than soft. It’s beautiful ground and I’d say the winner is a nice horse.

“It’s a fantastic atmosphere and my flight isn’t until 8pm so we get to enjoy it for a bit now and I might be back later in the month for the meeting on March 22nd.”