Ga Law gets up to deny French Dynamite in Paddy Power thriller

Big Cheltenham handicap continues to prove elusive for Irish raiders.

Ga Law finished with a flourish to collar French Dynamite and give trainer Jamie Snowden and jockey Jonathan Burke victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Only Edward O’Grady’s Tranquil Sea in 2009 had taken the historic handicap back across the Irish Sea since Bright Highway in 1980 – but that all looked set to be forgotten as Mouse Morris’ French Dynamite travelled like the winner throughout.

While plenty in behind endured troubled passages or made mistakes, Darragh O’Keeffe sat in the box seat on French Dynamite, just behind the leader Storm Control.

As the field turned into the straight with two to jump and Storm Control cried enough, French Dynamite was left in front and still seemed full of running.

Il Ridoto, Simply The Betts, Midnight River and Ga Law were within hailing distance, but when French Dynamite jumped two out well he appeared to have sealed it.

Unfortunately for his backers he met the last fence all wrong, losing momentum and giving Ga Law (5-1) – who had run a fine race at Aintree last month on his return from an absence of 603 days – and Burke a chance they would not relinquish, holding off the rallying French Dynamite by three-quarters of a lengths, with Midnight River third.

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