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Connections of Ga Law have paid the sum of £15,000 to supplement their charge for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday.
Last year's Paddy Power winner showed what he was capable of at Prestbury Park when running out a convincing winner of a valuable handicap chase there in January and while not beaten far when fifth in the Grade 1 Thursday contest twelve months ago, trainer Jamie Snowden feels he has his contender in better shape this time around.
"The original entries for the Ryanair came out before Trials Day at Cheltenham in January and he was very impressive that day, winning off a big weight. The handicapper has now put up to a point where it makes sense to have a crack at this," said Snowden.
"We were fifth in the Ryanair last year when we were perhaps not in the same sort of form that we're in now. We obviously won the Paddy Power that winter, but we took a nasty fall in the Sky Bet Chase, and he probably wasn't in the same kind of form that he's in now 12 months ago and he still ran a belter.
"We do feel he's in far better order now and hopefully he can go a few places better.
"Obviously Envoi Allen won it last year and the reports are that he's in great order this time around as well. It certainly looks a competitive race, but forgetting the opposition, we hope that we're coming into it in far better form than we did last year."
As expected, defending champion Envoi Allen was amongst the twelve horses confirmed for Thursday's two-mile five-furlong prize, while Banbridge, Stage Star and Cotswold Chase winner Capodanno all stood their ground.
Ga Law and Envoi Allen are among 12 horses in contention for the Ryanair, with Banbridge, Star Star and Capodanno also among the leading contenders.
Gordon Elliott left both Teahupoo and Irish Point in the feature Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle on Thursday, but the latter has been earmarked as a potential Champion Hurdle contender following the defection of Constitution Hill.
Trainer Gavin Cromwell has recently made his intentions clear to run Flooring Porter in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle and he too featured among the eighteen confirmations on Thursday.
Grand National hero Noble Yeats, racing's fan favourite Paisley Park, and the new kid on the block Crambo, all remain in contention.
