Snowden hopeful Wendigo can make Bartlett mark

Jamie Snowden sees Wendigo as one sure to be suited by a step up to three miles in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, as he seeks to add to his tally of Cheltenham Festival winners.

The Lambourn handler has prevailed at National Hunt racing’s showpiece event with Pleasant View and You Wear It Well and will take a promising team to Prestbury Park this term.

Wendigo was a dual bumper winner and has taken well to jumping obstacles, with a runner-up finish behind The New Lion in the Grade One Challow coming in between convincing victories at Ludlow and Wetherby.

Snowden said: “He was second in the Challow and has won a couple of novices so far.

“He stayed very well in the Challow, when he got himself slightly outpaced entering the home straight and did all of his best work in the final couple of furlongs.

“The step up to three miles is sure to suit and I think he’s the shortest priced of the English horses going into it.”

Hollygrove Cha Cha will attempt to emulate You Wear It Well by landing the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, having held on gamely for a Grade Two triumph in Sandown’s Jane Seymour event under Gavin Sheehan.

“She’s won five of her six starts now,” commented Snowden. “The only time she got beat, she was second in a Listed race at Taunton, when good ground on a sharp track just found her out a bit.

“The New course should suit her far better and it’s a race we took with You Wear It Well, so it would be nice to do the same with Hollygrove Cha Cha.

“A lot depends on how Gav finds her and how the race pans out, but we made all with You Wear It Well and Hollygrove Cha Cha can do that – and I think she’ll be better in a fast-run race.”

Ga Law has been a real money-spinner for the yard, with two of his five wins for Snowden coming at Cheltenham, including the 2022 Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The handler said: “He’s in three races; the Stayers’ Hurdle, the Ryanair and the Ultima – and the Ultima is the obvious race off 152, as he last won off 150, but it depends on the weather as well.

“The Ultima is on the Tuesday and the Stayers’ is on the Thursday and he does like nice ground, so if it looks like the nicer ground is on the Thursday, the option is there. I don’t think we will go for the Ryanair, that is the least favoured of the options.”

Super Survivor and Up For Parol could both line up in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle, with the former generally rated a 16-1 chance and the latter available at twice those odds.

Snowden reported: “Both in the Pertemps are likely runners, I’d have thought, though Up For Parol does want soft ground and there’s another option at Uttoxeter on the Saturday. Super Survivor is a definite runner and we will just have to see what the weather does for Up For Parol.

“Super Survivor has won his last two. He was favourite for the Welsh National last year when we were going chasing and things didn’t quite work out for him that day and it took us a long time to get him back on track.

“He’s quite nicely handicapped; he’s won twice over hurdles this season to qualify for this, this is the right opportunity for him off a light weight.”

French import Marche d’Aligre is another lively contender in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

“He won first time out and was second in the Grade Two (Finale Juvenile Hurdle) at Chepstow, then found the ground a little bit quick at Haydock when fourth,” said Snowden.

“But if there’s a little bit of rain, then off a nice weight, he’ll have half a chance in the Boodles.”