'We've got to have a dream' - 2024 Gold Cup aim for Paddy Power winner

Jamie Snowden hopes his stable star Ga Law can emulate Imperial Commander by following up a hard-fought success in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in next season's Gold Cup.

The seven-year-old provided his five owners, The Footie Partnership, named after their late friend Nick Foot, with a dream success in November's feature handicap on only his second start since February 2021.

Ga Law is a 100-1 shot for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March and is also entered in the Ryanair Chase, which Imperial Commander won in 2009, four months after winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup. He beat Denman by seven lengths in the following year's Gold Cup.

"He's a very exciting horse and we want to work back from the 2024 Gold Cup – we've got to have a dream," said Snowden. "He came out of the Paddy Power well and, having had two runs in fairly quick succession after a year absence, we were always going to give him a break.

"He's got a couple of fancy entries in the spring but we'll see where we get to on his next couple of starts before we make a decision."

Jamie Snowden: trainer of Ga LawCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Snowden is aiming Ga Law at a £100,000 2m5f handicap chase at Ascot on January 21 and he will also have the option of the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster, with his trainer excited at the prospect of running him over three miles.

"We're very keen to go up in trip," he said. "He ran over two and a half miles on the Old course at Cheltenham, which is testing, and his targets are over slightly further.

"He was rated 150 as a novice chaser and he won the Paddy Power off 142. He's up to 148 now and you'd think there was still scope for progress. He's young and he's got a nice future ahead of him."

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