COLIN Tizzard will be represented by a smaller team than usual at the Cheltenham Festival next month with the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River leading the team.
Tizzard will be doubly represented in the Friday feature with Newbury disappointment Lostintranslation still in the mix.
The 11-year-old Native River missed last year’s renewal through injury but he has a fine record in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, placing in the first four on each of his three runs in the race.
Reserve Tank, fifth in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on Sunday behind Brewin’upastorm, is also likely to represent the stable this month over hurdles.
The well-regarded novice chaser The Big Breakaway, who is set to run in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, having been second in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park when last seen.
Speaking in a Cheltenham Zoom call by Jockey Club Racecourses, Joe Tizzard said: “Our team will be smaller than other years. Some of that was due to the novices, some of the novice hurdlers just haven’t got there yet.
“A lot of our owners normally go to Cheltenham and we always have a party and a picnic around the car each day and our owners like to have a runner. But it’s not the case this year so this year we’ll only run horses we think have a genuine chance.
“The novice hurdlers and younger horses have been affected with a slight bug that went through the yard and we’ve had to give the more time.
“Most of the horses have turned the corner and we’ve still got plenty of horses to run until the end of the season.
“Dad is up the gallop every morning still, without fail, and is as keen as ever. It’s not been an easy 12 months for him but he’s in good form again.”
WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup
Native River
He did nothing wrong last year and was two from two before just slightly tweaking a tendon in the Denman Chase, and then he came back and ran a blinder in the Many Clouds (Aintree in December).
He ran a good race at Aintree and then Sandown really ticked a lot of boxes for him. He’s the highest rated staying chaser in England I think and he deserves that.
For the two or three days after Sandown we were felling his legs but he’s been absolutely fine, he’s bounced out of it and he’s a straightforward horse to train.
Native River and Richard Johnson head to post in Cheltenham \ Healy Racing
In 20 runs over fences his worst placing is fourth, which was in a Gold Cup, so that just shows you how good a horse he is.
I think nowadays he would need a bit of soft ground just because anything else would be perhaps too quick for him and with the soft ground he can just maintain that gallop. I think that the horse is performing every bit as well as when he won a Gold Cup, I just think he’s a bit more ground dependant at this stage.
The interesting thing about him is he’s not slow, he can maintain that gallop for three and a quarter miles. He’s just a warrior and if he’s still close enough at the bottom of the hill, he’ll be doing his best work up the hill. If he just gets his ground a little bit to help that, it slows the rest down.
Native River will run his race, that’s the thing. He doesn’t run a bad race so he will go there and perform. He’s a pretty straightforward horse to train in that sense in that he’s very tough and he doesn’t need to do anything special to keep him right, he just loves his day-to-day routine and looks particularly well.
Every Gold Cup is a strong Gold Cup and it’s possibly as open as it has been in the past. But a few of them have questions to answer.
WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup
Lostintranslation
It hasn’t been straightforward to be honest, since the Betfair last year. He disappointed in the King George then bounced back in the Gold Cup. It just hasn’t happened this year for some reason.
I think in the Denman it was purely down to fitness and he’s a big gross horse that hasn’t had a race properly since the Gold Cup last year.
He went to Haydock Park and hated the ground and then he bled after a couple of miles in the King George, so we were very keen to get a run into him and I think the run has sharpened him up a treat.
He’s having a hard couple of weeks at home now to make sure he’s fully fit.
Lostintranslation \ Healy Racing.
He wouldn’t mind the ground drying out and he goes well in the spring. He proved he liked it last year and he proved it the year before when second in what is now the Marsh Novices’ Chase.
The reason he’s that price is because of this year’s performances. He wasn’t that price after being beaten two lengths in it last year, so he could absolutely outrun his odds.
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
Reserve Tank
I was very pleased with the run (fifth in National Spirit Hurdle). He jarred himself up a little bit last year but he’s a horse that comes very good in the spring.
We haven’t been able to get away for a gallop and we used Fontwell as a stepping stone. I thought he was staying on strongly and the next few days are crucial to see how he comes out of it.
I don’t think we’d have anything to lose in a Stayers’ Hurdle and there’s Aintree too. He’s got some high-class form.
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
The Big Breakaway
We think he’s a very talented horse. He finished fourth despite not travelling particularly well at Cheltenham last year.
He travelled much better when he won there first time out this season and we wanted to get experience into him going back to the Festival.
The Exeter defeat was, initially, very frustrating as we went with an odds-on horse, but we dissected it a bit and we’ve moved on from it.
We had to go back to basics in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase and Dan’s horse (Shan Blue) got a march on him. Hopefully it was the making of the horse and hopefully we can ride him in third or fourth at Cheltenham rather than make it.
He’s won around Cheltenham, he’s been second in a Grade 1 and he’s maturing all the time. I’m sure him time will come.
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Fiddlerontheroof
He was a Grade 1 two-mile novice hurdle winner (last season) when he probably outstayed everything on the day. He’s been second a lot in good company this season and stepping him up to three miles last time was fine, we think the further he goes the better he’ll be.
Monkfish has looked amazingly impressive but it’s Cheltenham and it’s not going to be easy. I don’t think the ground is an issue for him whatever it might be.
Grand Annual Handicp Chase
Eldorado Allen
He’s got four entries. He’s a Grade 2 winner around Cheltenham this year but I think we may end up going handicapping with him. Shishkin beat him quite well last time at Doncaster and we’re leaning towards the Grand Annual. A fast-run two miles around there should play to his strengths.
Kim Muir Handicap Chase
Sizing At Midnight
I think he’ll run in the Kim Muir. He disappointed on horrible ground at Wincanton but he’s a good ground horse. Hopefully it was just fitness last time on the ground.
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
Strike A Pose
He won very well at Exeter and he’s a three-mile point-to-point winner. He might go for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle or the EBF Final the week before.
It’s an ongoing conversation between us and the owners and we’ve kept the option open. We won the Albert Bartlett with Kilbricken Storm and this horse has been just as impressive.
Colin Tizzard-trained Festival winners
2010 Cue Card: Weatherbys
Champion Bumper
2011 Oiseau De Nuit: Johnny
Henderson Grand Annual
2013 Golden Chieftain: Ultima Handicap Chase
2013 Cue Card: Ryanair Chase
2016 Thistlecrack: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
2018 Kilbricken Storm: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
2018 Native River: WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup