‘The handicapper has given us a tempting offer’ - Jamie Snowden mulling over Cheltenham dilemma for Queen's Reach For The Moon

Reach For The Moon, the 2021 Solario Stakes winner who races for the Queen and the late Sir Chips Keswick, will bid to continue his hurdling resurgence at Cheltenham on Friday, with trainer Jamie Snowden mulling over two options.

The five-year-old son of Sea The Stars was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II and peaked at an official rating of 114 on the Flat when trained by John and Thady Gosden.

He now has the same rating over hurdles – and a Flat mark of 105 – leading Snowden to contemplate deviating from his original plan to run in the Grade 2 Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle.

Reach For The Moon, who was beaten on his first three starts over hurdles before scoring at Worcester and Fontwell, has an alternative entry in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle on the same card and would carry bottomweight.

Jamie Snowden: trainer of Reach For The MoonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Snowden, who does not expect the Queen to be in attendance after the royal visit to Australia, said: “We’ve thought all along that he might be one for the Grade 2 but the handicapper has given us a tempting offer off a mark of 114, which slightly surprised us a little bit. 

"We’ve just got to work out whether to stick to the original plan or try to take advantage of what is hopefully a nice handicap mark.

“He was very good on the Flat and he’s still a good work horse. He didn’t have a great deal of luck on his first few runs over hurdles – he came back lame after getting bogged down at Sedgefield, he was fresh and free the second day and then he got carried out at Stratford – so it's been nice to get him back on track the last twice. It looks like he’s going the right way and he’s a lovely horse to have on the team.”

Ga Law will bid to become the sixth horse to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup twice – a feat achieved by the likes of Gay Trip, Bradbury Star and Cyfor Malta – at Cheltenham on November 16 having shaped encouragingly when second at Chepstow this month.

The eight-year-old was successful in the race in 2022 and boosted his course record to 2-4 when winning a handicap chase on Trials day last season.

Snowden said: “We didn’t think he was completely cherry ripe for Chepstow so it was a cracking effort. He will improve a lot for that. The handicapper has nudged him up a pound but he will go for the Paddy Power.”

You Wear It Well (centre): Cheltenham Festival winner is set to go chasingCredit: Patrick McCann

You Wear It Well, who was successful in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle last year, will embark on a chasing career, with the Yorton-sponsored Listed mares’ novice chase at Bangor a likely starting point on November 13.

Towton Novices' Chase winner Colonel Harry could return in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree on Sunday or at Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase meeting next week, while Kim Muir second and Scottish National third Git Maker will have a prep run over hurdles before being aimed at the Welsh National at Chepstow on December 27.

Dual bumper winner La Marquise, who was among the 40 horses to follow in the Racing Post's Big Jump Off supplement, finished third in the Aintree mares’ bumper in April and could start off over hurdles at Ludlow on Thursday if there is sufficient ease in the ground.

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