Dan Skelton has ruled out a trip to Ireland over Christmas with his Betfair Chase winner Grey Dawning.
He was given an entry in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown where potential opponents could have included Galopin Des Champs, Fact To File and Inothewayurthinkin.
But he'll instead wait for Trials Day next month. Speaking to ITV Racing from Cheltenham on Saturday the trainer said: “He’s going to come back here for the Cotswold Chase.
“I wanted to go to Leopardstown and until Wednesday I was going then I just thought if we're ever going to win a Gold Cup it’s this year and don’t negate that chance.
“We’ll have a chance to go out there another day hopefully but I have to do what is right for the horse and just get everything right for that one day in March.
"I know it's boring and people want to see them race more and more but I can’t race him right-handed otherwise he’d have been in the King George and I can only apologise on the horse’s behalf that you don’t see him more than you do but let's just get him here in March in the best shape we can have him.”

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