Ga Law (8-1), who enjoyed his finest hour when landing the 2022 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham’s November Meeting, recorded his first win since that famous victory when successful in the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase (2m 4½) at Cheltenham today, Festival Trials Day.  

 

Partnered by Gavin Sheehan, the eight-year-old Sinndar gelding was in front from the ninth fence and saw off all challengers to win the Premier Handicap by a length and three quarters from Lounge Lizard.

 

Winning trainer Jamie Snowden said: “It has been an incredible week and It has been really great seeing him win again. He won the Paddy Power Gold Cup and he was a Grade Two novice chase winner. He won the Paddy Power on the Old Course and he only just got up that day then we went up in trip and went to the Sky Bet Chase and he took a nasty fall at the last when he was coming to win his race.

 

“That has played on his mind for the best part of a year really. We just saw in the Coral Gold Cup signs of life again. We put the cheekpieces on and dropped him back in trip today. I thought the New Course would suit him better, and he did it nicely. It was a nasty fall at Doncaster, and he landed on his side before galloping off for the best part of a mile. He was a bit like a scalded cat on the back of that, but it is nice to have him back.

 

“We were going to go for the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton, which is worth £150,000 which is worth more than the Ultima believe it or not. We were thinking about going there, but we might have to come back over two and a half miles at The Festival.

 

“The partnership (that own him) is made up of five people, and the sixth person Nick Foot, who used to come with them to Cheltenham unfortunately died before they got this horse so they called it The Footie Partnership hoping to come to Cheltenham. He has won the Paddy Power for them and won here today so it is very poignant for them to come to Cheltenham.

 

“We always thought we would get him back, but that fall was pretty nasty at Doncaster and it has just taken us a year to get him back. We have an incredible team at home and it is all credit to them. We were thinking he does stay, but in the Coral Gold Cup we saw he didn’t stay three miles two furlongs. We had him in the race at Doncaster today (that he fell), but we thought we wouldn’t go back to the scene of his disaster. A sharper three miles like that at Kempton Park (in the Coral Trophy) should suit him well.”