Ga Law in the frame for Gold Cup before Grand National

First-four finish at Cheltenham would secure Aintree berth.

Ga Law could bid to secure his Randox Grand National ticket by having a run in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

A faller when looking poised to win the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster, the Jamie Snowden-trained Ga Law is still not qualified for the Aintree spectacular.

The seven-year-old, who won the Paddy Power Chase at Cheltenham in November, would need to finish in the first four in the Gold Cup to get into the National.

Snowden has something of a dilemma, as the seven-year-old is much better fancied for the Ryanair Chase at the Festival in two weeks’ time.

Speaking at the Cheltenham handicap weights launch, Snowden said: “He won the Paddy Power here through stamina over two and a half miles.

“We were keen to go up in trip, and went to the Sky Bet Chase. He came to win the race and he fell at the last.

“He got a nasty cut on the leg that day, so has taken his time to get over that.

“We are very keen to try and qualify him for the National if we could. The handicapper put him up 2lb for the Sky Bet Chase fall, which suggests he’d shown improved form over three miles.

“It is obviously a little bit frustrating that you have to finish in the first four in order to qualify for the National, so we had him in at Kelso at the weekend over three miles. I think that might come just a little bit too soon, so we are still in the dilemma of trying to chase Shishkin home for a bit of prize-money in the Ryanair, or whether we go for Gold and try to pick up fourth and qualify for the National.”

Ga Law was a talented novice chaser whose upward trajectory was cruelly halted by a tendon injury just before the spring festivals in 2021.

A dejected Johnny Burke after Ga Law fell at Doncaster
A dejected Johnny Burke after Ga Law fell at Doncaster (Richard Sellers/PA)

That season, he won the Rising Star Novices’ Chase and was third behind Allmankind when tested at the top level in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase in December.

Back after 603 days off, he showed plenty of ability when third in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree before his win in the Paddy Power.

“As a novice chaser, he was borderline championship class,” added Snowden. “He has got form with Envoi Allen, Hitman, Allmankind, all those horses in the Henry VIII, Rising Stars’ and Pendil and the likes as a novice chaser.

“He was mixing it with the very best, but obviously had a year out and on the back of that it meant he was quite nicely handicapped going into races like the Paddy Power.

“He definitely has the ability to run in these kind of races, we just have to got to plot a route.

“I was kind of thinking he might be one for the Gold Cup next year as opposed to this year, but with the Grand National weights as they are, I think he’s nicely handicapped for that, if we can get the qualification in time.”

He added: “Michael Wainwright of Boodles, who is part-owner, wants to go for the Gold Cup, so it would be quite fitting if he ran in and won the 100th Gold Cup.”

Snowden also had news of You Wear It Well, runner-up in the Challow Hurdle before winning in great style at Sandown and on course for the Jack de Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in preference to the Albert Bartlett or Ballymore.

He said: “She is doing really well. She is a classy mare and has won three of her four novice hurdles this season and just got beat by Hermes Allen over two and a half miles. We held her up that day, but she is a quite keen going and free sort. She finished second and it was a great run.

“Had we gone forward who knows what might have happened. At Sandown we went forward with her and she won that pretty impressively. Luccia is obviously favourite for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and we have some form lines that tie in closely with that, but she is a nice mare and we will go for that race.”

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