Joe Tizzard: “I can’t wait to watch Finian’s Oscar run this weekend”
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Joe talks us through the Tizzard stable’s Saturday chances at Chepstow
Bryan Cooper came down on Friday morning to school the horses that he’s riding this weekend and it went really well.
It gave Bryan a chance to get a feel of all of them, as well as to meet the team and see the set-up. All the horses jumped half a dozen hurdles and fences and it was a productive session.
I paid a visit to Chepstow on Thursday on the way to Ludlow to take a look at the course.
It’s remarkable how perfect the ground was and it was softer than I imagined it would be. In fact I was more than happy to commit there and then that we would be running the horses it was in such good nick.
He’s a horse that joined us last February.
He’d finished fourth in his point to point and we gave him some time to settle in and then had him entered for a bumper at Warwick but the ground changed. It firmed up and we didn’t want to take a risk with him.
So he’s come back in this season and he’s developed into a lovely big strong horse.
We are on a learning curve with him and I think he’ll want further in time but hopefully he’ll get away with it around Chepstow. We’re expecting a big run from him.
I don’t know a lot about the horse apart from what we’ve seen at home but he should go well.
It’s a four runner race which couldn’t have been better really.
We love starting novice chasers at Chepstow. Over this distance they start the race at the start of the home straight and they jump five fences on the collar.
With four runners I’d imagine Alcala will make the pace, as that’s been his running style before, so it would be lovely for Bryan to be able use that Alcala for a lead and take our horse into the race.
Some horses need their first run but Finian’s Oscar isn’t really that type of horse.
He’s done all of his work, the same as the horses that have been winning races in the last ten days, so whilst I’m sure he’ll improve for the run we won’t be using fitness as an excuse.
This is an ideal first run for him, we want to see him jump well, and we are hoping he’ll run a big race.
I’m really excited about seeing him run, but not nervous. I can’t wait to watch him.
I’ve always been like that. Even when we ran Cue Card in this race six years ago, I remember being so excited about that, and not remotely nervous. I’m not that sort of person. Running your best horses is what it’s all about.
I don’t really know what to expect from him really.
He has summered really well. He’s a bigger, stronger horse this year. His work has been superb and he’s schooled really well, but then that was the case last year and it didn’t translate to the track.
He’s been given a nice mark over hurdles, 146. We will also find out where we are in terms of trip. He’s shown us plenty of pace at home.
This is one of those races where he could disappoint again or he might have just settled in, benefited from the summer, and could run really well.
We put our necks on the line with him last year and it went wrong. But he was bought to be a very good horse and Dad and I certainly haven’t written him off yet.
He did his handicap winning at the end of last season which puts him in no-man’s land at the start of this season. If he can go and win off 160 then he’s definitely a Ladbrokes Trophy horse, and possibly even a Gold Cup horse.
He’s a big strong boy, he can carry weight well, so if he’s in the same form as last season, he could run well.
But he might just be the type of horse to need his first run of the season to sharpen his ideas up. He can be a bit lazy and sloppy at home so the run should get him focused.
Joe
