You Wear It Well heading Snowden’s likely Aintree squad

PA Sport Reporters
April 9, 2023 12:19 pm

Hurdle options for mares’ novices’ winner.

Jamie Snowden is looking to continue a fine season as his Cheltenham heroine You Wear It Well heads to Aintree.

The six-year-old has been beaten just once all term when second in the Grade One Challow Hurdle, outside of which she has been a decisive winner of four contests.

Her most recent success came in the Jack de Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade Two event at the Cheltenham Festival.

That two-and-three-quarter-length victory was a first Festival success for Snowden since 2014, when Present View struck for the same owner in Sir Chips Keswick – the former Arsenal chairman.

“Having worked for both Nicky (Henderson) and Paul (Nicholls) beforehand, I kind of thought, rather naively, that these things were going to happen rather more regularly,” Snowden said of the nine-year gap to a second Festival win.

Jockey Gavin Sheehan You Wear It Well (Tim Goode/PA)

“To wait nine years for our next winner was incredibly special and very poignant that our children were there picking up the trophy that was the Jack de Bromhead trophy this year.

“It was a very special moment. It was a great boost for everyone at Folly House, it is all credit to the whole team, I’m delighted with how the season is going.”

You Wear It Well will head next for either the Top Novices’ Hurdle or the Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, both Grade One races run over two miles and two and a half miles respectively.

“She’s bouncing, she’s taken all her races well and has improved with every start,” said Snowden.

“She won the two-mile-four-furlong Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle then dropped back in trip to win over two miles at Cheltenham.

Jamie Snowden at the Cheltenham Festival (Tim Goode/PA)

“She looks versatile trip wise, so we will see what the ground is like and entries and make a decision.

“She handles a bit of cut in the ground but with it having been a relatively dry season, she has also handled the better ground too.

“I think she is hopefully a good mare that can handle all ground conditions, but a bit of cut would certainly help her.”

Kiltealy Briggs is another likely to head to Aintree, with the Topham Chase as his aim having schooled well over Lambourn’s National-style fences in preparation.

“He goes well fresh, his handicap mark has dropped down to below his previous winning mark and the plan has been to go to the Topham,” said Snowden.

Kiltealy Briggs at Cheltenham (Steven Paston/PA)

“He is out of a sister to Ballabriggs who won the Grand National, so we are very keen to get him over the National fences, he is a proper jumper.”

Colonel Harry is pencilled in for the Top Novices’ Hurdle at the meeting but also has an alternative option in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.

“Colonel Harry has had a wonderful season; he has won a couple of races and was a very good second in the Grade Two Novices’ Hurdle at Kelso and ran a cracking race in the Tolworth Hurdle,” said Snowden.

“We will now decide between Aintree or Ayr.”