Paddy Power Gold Cup

THE 5/1 shot Ga Law (Jamie Snowden/Johnny Burke) took advantage of the last-fence mistake of French Dynamite (Mouse Morris/Darragh O’Keeffe) to score by three-parts of a length in a typically thrilling Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Midnight River (Dan/Harry Skelton) stayed on late for third, a further three lengths away. The six-year-old was a very promising novice, but had spent 20 months sidelined by injury before finishing a fine third to Riders Onthestorm on the Old Roan Chase at Aintree.

It was an excellent training performance from Snowden to get the son of Sinndar to peak for this given that injury lay-off, and Ga Law is young enough to fulfil all that early potential, with a step up to three miles mooted by his trainer.

French Dynamite travelled best but mistakes at the third last and the final fence probably cost him victory, and while there will be other days, this was an opportunity missed.

Favourite Stolen Silver unseated at the third-last fence and was found to be lame on his near fore.

Juvenile promise

The Grade 2 juvenile hurdle (registered as the Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle) saw warm favourite Blueking D’Oroux run unaccountably badly, but the race threw up a useful winner in the shape of 4/1 shot Scriptwriter (Milton Harris/Paddy Brennan).

Fifth in the Ballysax Stakes on his last flat outing for Aidan O’Brien, Scriptwriter won a weak even at Sedgefield on his hurdles bow but showed much-improved form to beat Perseus Way (Gary/Jamie Moore) by two and a quarter lengths here, with Ray Cody’s Punchestown winner War Correspondent (Sam Twiston-Davies) the same distance back in third.

The winner looks a smart recruit and is held in higher regard than Knight Salute, who did so well for the Harris yard last season.

Perseus Way didn’t jump with much fluency, but showed plenty of promise against more experienced rivals, and is sure to improve, while War Correspondent looked wayward on the run-in after travelling well and needs to knuckle down to fulfil his potential as a hurdler.

Arkle Trial

Winner of the Martin Pipe at the Festival in March, Banbridge (JJ Slevin) was always considered a better chaser in the making by connections, and he maintained his perfect start despite dropping back to two miles for this Grade 2 contest.

A most assured jumper for one so inexperienced, Joseph O’Brien’s six-year-old disputed the running with Norman Lee’s Sole Pretender before kicking on approaching the turn into the home straight.

At that stage, Tommy’s Oscar (Ann Hamilton/Danny McMenamin) appeared to be travelling well, but two superb leaps at the last two fences allowed the 11/8 favourite to coast to victory by six lengths, with Sole Pretender the same distance away in third after Glory And Fortune had crashed out at the penultimate obstacle.

Banbridge coped well with the drop back to the minimum trip, but while his long-term target is undecided, the Arkle is shaping up to be a notably strong event, and he appeals as having better prospects reverting to two and a half miles or further, and it’s worth remembering that his dam is a half-sister to Major Malarkey, who won twice over four miles as a chaser, including at Cheltenham.

Rest of the card

Tony Martin’s Unanswered (Peter Carberry) was popular with punters and landed the intermediate handicap hurdle at 2/1 despite the flights in the straight being omitted due to low sun.

The John Breslin-owned gelding remains at the right end of the handicap and can land a big handicap at one of the festival meetings, either at home or back on British soil.

Most impressive winner of the day, however, was Oliver Sherwood’s Queens Gamble (Johnny Burke), who produced a sizzling finishing split to win the listed mares’ bumper by eight lengths from the 2021 winner Bonntay. She looks top class, and heads next to Huntingdon on Peterborough Chase day.

Lingfield Saturday

Summerghand strikes gold again

THERE were a pair of listed races on the all-weather at Lingfield on Saturday, with the six-furlong Golden Rose Stakes going to the evergreen Summerghand (David O’Meara/Danny Tudhope) just getting the better of 2021 runner-up and 2019 winner Judicial (Julie Camacho/Jim Crowley) to win by half a length as 2/1 favourite.

The market also proved the best guide to the Churchill Stakes over a mile and a quarter, with Crowley gaining compensation for his earlier defeat when getting 5/4 favourite Missed The Cut (George Boughey) up on the line to beat long-time leader Algiers (Simon & Ed Crisford/Rab Havlin).

The winner is being aimed at the Dubai Carnival, but Boughey will test him on dirt first before nominating a target for the son of multiple Grade 1 dirt winner Quality Road.

Bolshoi Ballet – wearing first-time blinkers for Aidan O’Brien – looked a hard ride on his first run of the year, although he was entitled to be rusty having met a setback in the summer.