Ga Law© Photo Healy Racing
Jamie Snowden’s Ga Law will bid to regain his title in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The eight-year-old won the big race in 2022 and was a Prestbury Park victor again last term when taking a handicap in January over half a furlong further.
Although he was then pulled up in the Ryanair Chase at the Festival, he finished his season on a good note when runner-up in the Grade Two Oaksey Chase and started his campaign well this time by taking the same place at Chepstow in October.
Ga Law has more to contend with weight-wise than when he took the event as a six-year-old, but after a pleasing return to action, he is out to regain the prize, with Gavin Sheehan now in the plate.
“He won the Paddy Power off 140 a couple of years ago and won a decent handicap on Trials day off a mark of 150, so there are some nice memories, but he is off 155 now, so he has to step forward,” said Snowden.
“He’s only an eight-year-old and he does appear like he is improving at home. He had a nice prep run at Chepstow when he was only 85-90 per cent fit and ran a belter, so he’s arriving in top form.
“This has been the plan and Chepstow should have put him spot on.”
A key rival is the Paul Nicholls-trained Ginny’s Destiny, who had a brilliant run of things last season when winning three successive chases at Cheltenham before finishing second in both the Turners Novices’ Chase and the Manifesto Novices’ Chase.
He makes his seasonal debut after plans for his opening run were scuppered, but his trainer is hoping he has been given adequate preparation at home ahead of the contest.
“He was new to us last season and never stopped improving, winning three times and ending up with a mark of 155,” Nicholls told his Betfair blog.
“The plan has always been to target the Paddy Power and my only slight concern is that we couldn’t give him a prep run at Newton Abbot because the meeting was abandoned.
“While he did need his first run last season, I was learning about him then and I’d say he is a lot straighter this time. He’s enjoyed an away day, I’ve done as much as I possibly could do with him at home and he is a lot sharper and better now.”
Dan Skelton’s Protektorat is another who will be seen for the first time this term in the race, as he gets his campaign under way in handicap company.
The nine-year-old was the winner of last year’s Ryanair and carries top-weight under Harry Skelton.
“Protektorat is good, I’ve been very happy with his build-up,” said Skelton.
“With a two-and-a-half-mile horse, when you are trying to look for races, this is an obvious place, even though it’s a handicap. I’m happy to go in a handicap even though he will have lots of weight – there’s nothing else around for him.
“He looks great and has some smart track form and yes, he has a lot of weight, but we will go and give it our best shot.”
Harry Fry is represented by In Excelsis Deo, a six-year-old owned by JP McManus who will be ridden by Bryan Carver.
He won the Silver Trophy Handicap Chase at the track last season and was last seen in the Galway Plate, when his jumping was his undoing and he was pulled up.
“He has to come back and get started and see how he jumps,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus.
“His jumping didn’t stand up in the Galway Plate, so hopefully he’ll get his jumping together and run a nice race.
“He’s won and run well at Cheltenham before, so fingers crossed.”
Elsewhere is Nicholls’ second contender Il Ridoto, who was third last year, with Harry Derham’s Imagine also well-fancied as he makes his first start for the stable after switching from Gordon Elliott’s yard.
