Jamie Snowden discusses Cheltenham Festival hopefuls Wendigo, Ga Law and Marche d'Aligre
Local trainer Jamie Snowden has discussed some of his Cheltenham Festival contenders.
With less than two weeks to go until the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’, Snowden was optimistic regarding a number of his top horses.
Snowden trained his first Cheltenham Festival winner when Present View won the Novice Handicap chase on the Tuesday for Sir Chips Keswick in 2014.
His most recent Festival win came last year, when You Wear It Well won the Mares’ Novices' Hurdle, capping the stable’s best year yet.
“We’re on target for another career best to be honest with you,” he said.
“We’ve had a career best for the last five years and got better and better.
“This season we’re on target.”
Wendigo has shown great progress this year, finishing second in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury to The New Lion at Newbury.
This was followed up by a dominant win in a Novices’ Hurdle at Wetherby earlier this month.
He’s currently as low as 11-1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on Friday at the Festival.
“He’s been a horse that we’ve always liked,” he said.
“He won a couple of bumpers last season.
“We didn’t want to try him in a championship bumper because we knew he was going to be a far better hurdler and chaser down the line.
“But he came out this season and won a nice race at Ludlow, ran a great race in the Challow.
“He ran an absolute belter. The winner looked like an absolute aeroplane.
“After a hard race that day I wanted to get a confidence boosting run into him prior to Cheltenham.
“I think we’ll improve by going up a trip and the Albert Bartlett is the obvious choice.”
Another contender is Ga Law.
He finished fifth of seven on heavy ground in the Denman Chase at Newbury earlier this month.
“His last winning handicap mark was 150, and he’s up 152 now,” he said.
“We’re in the Stayers, the Ultima and I think a big field handicap probably suits him better.
“So at the moment I think we’re leaning towards the Ultima, but the Stayers Hurdle is still an option.”
Marche d'Aligre has a win, a second and a fourth to his name this season, and is expected to go to the Boodles Handicap on the opening day.
“He won on hurdling debut and he’s looking pretty good,” he said.
“He stepped up on that and got second in the Grade Two down at Chepstow at Christmas.
“I had to get a third run into him in order to qualify for the Boodles, but the ground at Haydock wasn’t soft enough.
“He does want soft ground, it was all happening a bit quick for him.
“He finished fourth that day, but he’s a better horse on softer ground.”
Snowden himself made headlines this month, as it emerged that he’ll appear in Guy Ritchie’s latest movie.
The upcoming film, Wife & Dog, will see Snowden train a number of horses owned by Sir Anthony Hopkins’ character.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Rosamund Pike have also been cast for the project.
“It was quite fun!,” he said.
“I was just called up to be involved in a scene at Sandown.
“It was nice to be asked and nice to be a part of, all good fun.”
