Dan Skelton’s grey will take on leading Grand National contender Iroko when the pair clash in the Listed bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on Saturday.
The Dan Skelton-trained Grey Dawning, who has opted to head to Kelso and target the Aintree Grand National meeting instead of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, will be looking to bounce back to form having been last seen pulling up in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Dan Skelton's eight-year-old will take on the JP McManus-owned Iroko, who is a best-priced 14/1 shot for the Grand National at Aintree in April after an eye-catching fourth-place finish in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in January.
Iroko was allocated a rating of 152 and given a weight of 10st 11lb for the handicapper for the Aintree Grand National and will not go up in the weights if he is successful on Saturday.
The field of four also contains El Elefante and Barrons Land.
Also on the card, Emmet Mullins will look to claim a second Morebattle Hurdle with Vischio. The eight-year-old mare heads a full field of eighteen for the £120,000 event and will look to complete a hat-trick following a comfortable success in a Listed mares' handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival earlier this month.
Emmet Mullins landed the prize with The Shunter in 2021 and went on to plunder the £100,000 bonus that was on offer when readily following up in the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival. Mullins' latest Morebattle Hurdle contender, who will be ridden by Danny Mullins, could also attempt to land the valuable bonus as he holds entries in the Coral Cup, William Hill County Hurdle and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Jonjo and Anthony O'Neill-trained Tellherthename looks like making his handicap debut after finishing fourth behind Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle earlier this season, while Harry Derham's previous course and distance winner Slugger will head to Kelso in search of a fourth-straight success.
Willie Mullins and Patrick Mullins will experience their first taste of Kelso when Chart Topper takes on nine rivals in the Grade 2 bet365 Premier Novices' Hurdle.
Away from Kelso, Grand National pointers will also be on show when Kandoo Kid carries top weight in the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury.
Paul Nicholls' leading Aintree contender won the Coral Gold Cup at the same venue earlier in the season and is a general 25/1 chance for the Merseyside showpiece in April. He will face a maximum of fifteen rivals, including the Sam Thomas-trained Vincenzo and ante-post market leader Billytherealbigred, who will be ridden by Toby Wynne for trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.
