Ga Law

Noted here before as a horse to follow after his seasonal return in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree, Ga Law is worth noting again after his victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham last Saturday. He did well to win, because things didn’t go well for him through the race. Well back in the field early on, it didn’t look likely when they started to run down the hill and Jonathan Burke started to ask him for an effort. Still only sixth and well behind the leader Storm Control as they raced to the home turn, it appeared that a few of his rivals were travelling better than him at that point, but, moved to the outside as they rounded the home turn, he started to make his ground towards the leaders. He got in tight to the second last fence, which didn’t help, and he was tight again at the last, but French Dynamite wasn’t great at the fence either, and Ga Law stayed on strongly up the hill to get up and win by three parts of a length.

It was a really game effort by Jamie Snowden’s horse, and he should be able to step forward again from this. He has now won four of his seven chases, and he raced here as if he would appreciate a stiffer test of stamina now. He kept good company as a novice two seasons ago, he won the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Wincanton, and he was third in the Henry VIII Chase and second in the Pendil Chase. Off the track for all of last season, he looks like an even better horse now. The handicapper raised him by 6lb for Saturday’s win to a mark of 148, but that was not harsh. He is only six and he has raced just seven times over fences, so he has the potential to continue progressing now, especially over longer trips.
Cheltenham, 12^th November 2022