Ga Law© Photo Healy Racing
Jamie Snowden is pondering his options with Ga Law following his fine second in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
The eight-year-old won the Prestbury Park feature off a mark of 142 in 2022 but was some 13lb higher in the ratings this year as he chased home Paul Nicholls’ Il Ridoto.
Nudged up a further 1lb for that brave performance, Snowden now has to decide between a Cheltenham return for the December equivalent of the Paddy Power Gold Cup or a step up to graded company, with Huntingdon’s Trustatrader Peterborough Chase on December 8 also in the equation.
“It was a terrific run at Cheltenham but unfortunately the handicapper has nudged him up another 1lb,” said Snowden.
“He is entered back at Cheltenham in the December Gold Cup and we will have to see if we go there, but he might also have an entry in the Peterborough Chase and a lot will depend on the ground. He does like nicer ground.
“He’s come out of Cheltenham well, it’s just the handicapper has made life trickier for him.
“They got rid of the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree, so the only two graded options available to him in December are the Peterborough or the King George at Kempton during Christmas time, so it makes life a little trickier for us.”
Snowden is also keen to see You Wear It Well bank some more fences experience during December after being pleased with her performance on chasing debut in a Bangor Listed event.
The Cheltenham Festival-winning mare was thwarted on the run-in after an excellent round of jumping, but the Lambourn handler reports she has returned from that reappearance well and is hopeful there is more to come over the larger obstacles.
“She’s good and if you run that race 10 times, I think we would probably have won it nine times,” continued Snowden.
“It was unfortunate and it just didn’t work for us on the day, but she showed a great aptitude to jumping fences I thought.
“There’s a beginners’ chase at Haydock (Betfred ‘Classic Bookmaker’ Beginners’ Chase, December 21) just before Christmas and a race at Exeter (Southwest Rail Solutions Mares’ Novices’ Chase, December 19) which look the obvious options for her next start.”
