Jamie Snowden is happy with both of his runners in the Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The Lambourn trainer has Grand Sefton winner Colonel Harry and former Paddy Power Gold Cup hero Ga Law to call upon for the £125,000 feature handicap this weekend.
Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, he said of Colonel Harry’s recent Aintree victory: “It was hugely satisfying. He was a graded winner as a novice chaser and he took a nasty fall at Cheltenham in January and came back with a nasty infection in his back leg.
“It was touch-and-go, he was in hospital for the best part of two and a half weeks, but he’s come back and to win first time back over the Grand National fences in the Grand Sefton was hugely satisfying.
"I think it's workable [his handicap mark of 148], he won the Grand Sefton off 144 on ground that was only good to soft and he does appreciate the softer ground.
“It’s currently soft ground and I do think there’s scope off this kind of mark.”
Ga Law has won two big handicap chases at Cheltenham and will be ridden by 7lb claimer Isabelle Ryder on Saturday.
Snowden said: “He was a horse that won a Grade 2 over fences as a four-year-old when he went novice chasing, then he won the Paddy Power as a six-year-old, so he was quite a forward individual in his younger days.
“He's getting a little bit older but unfortunately the handicapper hasn’t been too kind on him, he’s still off 154 which is 4lb higher than the race he won on Trials Day at the same track.
"He’s in the grip of the handicapper really."
As for his jockey, Snowden went on: “I saw her riding at Fontwell a while back and I thought she was a girl that presented a horse at an obstacle very nicely.
“She was claiming 7lb and she came to us in the summer, her first ride for us won and she’s had a phenomenal time of it over the last couple of months. It would be wonderful if she could go and do it on Ga Law.”
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