Dan Skelton saddles a strong contender for the Betfair Chase in the favourite Grey Dawning. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire
It might be stating the obvious, but horses are no different from any other sporting participants: once they reach a certain age, they start to slow down and their ability declines. That’s especially true of those running at the top level in Grade One races over fences.
Ignoring the occasional four-year-old, which do well but are few and far between, the peak ages for winning Grade One chases are five and six, with win rates of 17pc and 16pc respectively, although the sample sizes are small and often tied to specific novice contests.
