Jamie Snowden believes Ga Law had valid reasons for his below-par performance in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Following a strong second-place finish in the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November, the trainer feels the December outing may have come too soon, especially under less-than-ideal conditions.
“It was a combination of three factors,” said Snowden. “He had a hard race in the Paddy Power, this race came a bit too quickly, he was carrying more weight, and the ground was softer than he prefers.”
Looking ahead, Snowden is assessing a range of options for the eight-year-old.
One possibility is a return to Cheltenham on Trials Day for the race Ga Law won last year. However, Snowden is mindful of the weight disparities he may face.
“The handicapper isn’t going to drop us much, maybe a pound or two. The two horses that dominated on Saturday (Gemirande and Madara) are much lower in the weights, so we’d still be giving them significant weight if they run.”
With limited options in handicaps, Snowden is considering a step up into graded company or even a return to hurdles.
“We might try a graded company, but the other option is the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials Day. Ga Law has only run twice over hurdles, and both times it was on soft ground, which he doesn’t enjoy. It’s something to think about as we plan his next steps.”
Snowden remains optimistic about finding the right path for Ga Law, whose versatility and ability remain clear despite this recent setback.