Grey Dawning And Defending Champion Panic Attack Head 43 Coral Gold Cup Entries

The Coral Gold Cup, the centrepiece of Newbury Racecourse’s flagship two-day fixture on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November 2026, has drawn 43 early entries. Worth a total prize fund of £250,000, the 3m2f Premier Handicap is staged on the second day and was landed 12 months ago by the Dan Skelton-trained mare Panic Attack, who completed a memorable Paddy Power Gold Cup and Coral Gold Cup double.

The reigning Champion Trainer, Skelton holds a powerful hand once again. Heading his entries is multiple Grade 1 winner Grey Dawning, last seen landing the Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree in the spring and a leading fancy for this season’s Betfair Chase, who could line up off a lofty mark near the top of the weights. He could be joined by last year’s winning mare Panic Attack, back at the scene of her finest hour having exited early in last season’s Grand National, and the mercurial Il Est Francais, a Grade 1-winning chaser who has joined Skelton from France and made his first start for the yard this month. Here Comes Georgie, a recent winner over fences at Cheltenham, is also in the mix, along with Blueking d’Oroux, Kingston Narcissus and Mr Hope Street.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Curtis’s Haiti Couleurs, winner of the 2025 Irish Grand National, could also feature high in the weights. Myretown, the 2025 Ultima Handicap Chase winner for Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, would arrive here in good form having scored on seasonal debut at Kelso over the weekend and Jamie Snowden’s Wendigo is another prominent entry in the early market. Two of last season’s smart novices, Salver for Jamie Moore and Josh Moore and The Jukebox Kid for Ben Pauling, both Grade 2 winners, could step up into open company.

Owner J. P. McManus could be represented by the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained pair Jagwar and Iroko, both of whom ran at the Cheltenham Festival and in the Grand National last season, along with Tom Lacey’s Montregard. Nicky Henderson’s entries include Hyland, Califet En Vol, As The Fella Says and Holloway Queen, while Paul Nicholls could call on Cheltenham Festival winner Caldwell Potter, Quebecois and Regent’s Stroll.

The Irish challenge is currently spearheaded by Gordon Elliott’s Three Card Brag, runner-up 12 months ago, alongside a strong Willie Mullins contingent that includes Galway Plate winner King Alexander, Ballygunner Castle, Fou de Toi and Road To Home. Ballygunner Castle and Henry de Bromhead’s Downmexicoway finished first and third respectively in this season’s Grade 3 Kerry National.

France could be represented by Giacosa, who hails from the cross-Channel yard of Noël George and Amanda Zetterholm.

The first scratching stage on Tuesday 10 November.

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