Grey Dawning (5-1) enjoyed his second Grade One success of the 2025/26 campaign and his third overall when triumphing in the highlight of Ladies Day at Aintree today, the £250,000 Melling Chase over two and a half miles.

The nine-year-old, who won the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock Park in November, got the better in a tremendous battle with Solness (8-1) to score by a neck.

Winning trainer Dan Skelton: “I thought we’d win going to the last, two, three strides out. Halfway up the run-in the line couldn’t come quick enough, but he’s used that stamina, he’s been very tenacious today. He had a very hard race at Cheltenham; we left a lot in his shop window today, for him to go and be a two-and-a-half miler, put the cheekpiece on just to help him a little bit - we didn’t think he needed them for any sort of quirkiness reason, but when you’re dropping back in trip it’s better to have them and not need them than not have them and need them. But he was brave at the back of the last, brave when he perhaps hasn’t sometimes been in the past, I must say, but it can take time sometimes, and what a place for it to happen.

“We said we had him in the best shape we could for a Gold Cup and that’s the truth. He turned in there, he actually jumped the second-last in second; we had him in Gold Cup form but unfortunately he’s not good enough to win a Gold Cup. You then have to start batting clever. We decided we’d do something a little different, like we did with Protektorat, when he couldn’t win a Gold Cup - he’s been brilliant. Today he was really brave, and he needed to be and he was. Phenomenal ride from Harry - had him in the right place all the way.

‘Phenomenal effort from Solness to give it all that the whole way, and Grey Dawning showed the class and determination when he really needed to. It was a real race and it was our day in the end. Great outcome, wonderful owner, he’s been through the mill a bit - his wife died a couple of weeks ago - but he’s a very patient man and everyone deserves their go sometimes and he’s had his. What a day.

“We were always going to come here because he’s getting older and you run out of runway with these horses pretty soon, so you want to race them. We’ve got a team of horses and we love to race them.

Robert Kirkland, the successful owner, said: “I’m really grateful to Dan. It was a tough race today and he’s done well. I thought he did well at Cheltenham, and he’s done very well as well today, so thanks, Dan.”

Winning rider Harry Skelton said: “That was brilliant. Solness is a tough horse to ride against because you don’t want to take him on too soon. He’s a little terrier, but full credit to our horse as he had the guts and put his head down where it mattered.

“Solness keeps finding and you don’t want to put your cards on the table too soon, so I was just trying to hold on until we got down to the last. I got a good jump at the last thankfully and then my hands were open. He had to dig deep and he did. It was a great race and I’m just delighted.

“The cheekpieces helped and made him travel forward. I could be aggressive on him and he’s probably best when ridden like that, although over a trip you’d ride him more conservative.

“You really connect with a horse like this and I have a real love for him. Because he’s grey a lot of people have taken to him as well and he’s a multiple Grade 1 winner now.

“This win will mean an awful lot to his owner, Robert Kirkland. Very sadly his wife Lesley passed away, and I dedicate this race to her. She was a tremendous lady, Robert’s been an unbelievable supporter of Dan and mine since we started out, and it’s just lovely to repay him with a good winner, and hopefully this will just lift his spirits a bit and help him through a tough period of his life.”

JJ Slevin, rider of runner-up Solness, said: “When he’s on his A game he’s a very good horse. We skipped Cheltenham to come here. It was a really good run but the winner is a very good horse.”

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of the third Heart Wood (6-5 Favourite) said: “It’s probably a furlong shorter on a sharper track, and he's probably more of a two-and-a-half to three-mile horse. He ran a cracker and he stayed on really well. We’ll go to Down Royal for the three-mile now and investigate that. He’s had a fantastic season. We’d love to win but he’s back in one piece and I'm delighted."