Stolen Silver could score Sam Thomas another prestigious prize in the Paddy Power Gold Cup
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Stolen Silver can earn Sam Thomas another prestigious award in the Paddy Power Gold Cup after his triumph with Al Dancer over the Grand National fences
- Sam Thomas won over the Grand National fences with Al Dancer last Saturday
- He was able to win another prize with STOLEN SILVER in the Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Al Dancer’s victory came just four days after Thomas was in a helicopter crash
- Stolen Silver looks like he can build on a rewarding first season over fences
Sam Thomas secured a timed feature race win with Al Dancer over the Grand National fences last Saturday and could get his hands on another prestigious award with STOLEN SILVER (Cheltenham, 2.20) in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Al Dancer’s win came just four days after Thomas and his main owner and landlord, Dai Walters, were lucky enough to escape with their lives after being involved in a helicopter crash.
Together they’ve built a highly competitive stable in South Wales and Stolen Silver, Sam Twiston-Davies’ mount, looks like he could build on a rewarding first season over fences.
Sam Thomas (pictured riding Enki Flacke) took a win with Al Dancer over the Grand National fences last Saturday
Those performances include a fourth-place finish behind Coole Cody here at the Cheltenham Festival and then a defeat to that rival and Simply The Betts here in April. Both runs were over two-and-a-half miles on Cheltenham’s New Course.
Saturday afternoon’s race will be held at Cheltenham’s Old Course, but Stolen Silver has shown he can ride the undulations in this corner of the Cotswolds.
Stolen Silver meets those two rivals again on worse terms and they should once again be involved in the business end of the race, especially Coole Cody who is a fixture here with his other endeavors including winning this award in 2020 and beyond. still in the lead falling two from home last season. But Stolen Silver is bringing momentum to the season, with the potential to make further improvements.
With STOLEN SILVER (c) in the Paddy Power Gold Cup he can get another prize
The greatest dangers may lie with two rivals with similar profiles. Il Ridoto, a recruit from France, should be able to build on his first season in Britain.
He has had respiratory surgery in the summer and will be fit for the fast pace that will allow him to play late.
Jamie Snowdon trained Ga Law was sidelined for 20 months due to a leg injury, but he was a good starting chaser, winning at Grade Two level and being placed in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase.
His comeback in third with Riders Onthe Storm at the Old Roan Chase in Aintree last month was encouraging.