RULE OF LAW

Snowden ace is of Gold standard

GA LAW gets the verdict for the Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.20, ITV) at Cheltenham today.

Jamie Snowden trained the son of Sinndar to three wins in novice chases two winters ago, but GA Law missed the whole of last season through injury.

Making his return to action after 603 days on the sidelines, the six-year-old went off an 11-1 chance for the eight-runner Old Roan Chase at Aintree 20 days ago.

Johnny Burke’s mount ran a stormer, looking up against it after a mistake at the fifth fence from home but then staying on to take third place, beaten a length and a half, behind Riders Onthe Storm.

The handicapper, who had eased GA Law 8lb from a peak rating of 150, has taken a chance by leaving my selection on his new mark of 142.

GA Law still has more to offer on his seventh outing over fences and, with that run under his belt, can give his under-rated trainer the biggest payday of his career.

SHEARER can join his human namesake as a hattrick hero with a victory in the Paddy Power Games Handicap Hurdle (2.55) at Cheltenham this afternoon. Having got off the mark at his fourth start over timber – he captured a two-and-ahalf-mile handicap hurdle at Newbury last March – Paul Nicholls’ son of Flemensfirth trailed in fifth of six at Ayr in April when trying three miles for the first time. But the six-year-old has shown his true colours at the trip with two wins from as many attempts since, beginning with a seven-and-a-half-length supremacy from three rivals in a novice hurdle at Worcester in the first week of October. Shearer followed up over today’s course and distance in a similar event, beating Twig – the runner-up went one better in emphatic fashion at Kempton on Monday – by a length and a half.

My selection’s improvement this winter has persuaded the 13-time champion to keep Shearer over hurdles rather than tackle fences, and Adrian Heskin’s mount hasn’t finished yet as he goes back in handicaps off a BHA mark of 139.

Nicholls’ Monmiral is a scratching from the Grade 2 From The Horses Mouth Podcast Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase (1.45), which leaves the door open for TOMMY’S OSCAR (below) to win his second race over fences.

Trained by

Ann and Ian

Hamilton, the sevenyear-old made relentless progress over the smaller obstacles to earn his place in the Champion Hurdle field last March.

In the event, Tommy’s Oscar pulled too hard and came home ninth of 10 behind Honeysuckle in the big one, but got his chasing career off to the right start with a head defeat of sole foe Geromino in a handicap for novices at Carlisle in October. Tony Martin’s UNANSWERED rates a worthy market leader for the Paddy Power Feel Like A Favourite Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (3.30).

The Irish raider is 22lb higher in the weights than when beating 18 rivals for a handicap hurdle at Punchestown in May.

But my selection did win by eight and a half lengths that day – and has progressed on the Flat in the interim. Another visitor from

Ireland, LOGO HUNTER, has plenty going for him in the Listed Bet UK Golden Rose Stakes (2.35) at Lingfield.

The Michael Browne-saddled son of Brazen Beau is proven at this level, having lifted Listed sprints at Naas and Cork last year.

Logo Hunter came within half a length of putting a Group 3 win on his curriculum vitae when runner-up to Manaccan in the Pat Smullen Mercury Stakes at Dundalk last time out, and the drop in grade will help the four-year-old’s bid to go one better.

The Listed Bet UK Churchill Stakes (3.10) is a good opening for HARROVIAN to improve on his second to Pyledriver in the corresponding race 12 months ago.

The John and Thady Gosden trainee was competing on Polytrack for just the second time when going under by half a length to the subsequent King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes hero, and has more to offer on artificial surfaces.