Joe Tizzard: Everything Lostintranslation has achieved suggests he’s Gold Cup class

The latest insight from the Tizzard stables

Saturday

Ascot 12.25 – Sizing Tara

He won a couple of races towards the end of the summer, and ran well enough at Exeter last time having got left at the start a little bit, to deserve to take his chance here.

It’s a competitive looking race, but the trip and stiff track will suit him, and I think he’s still well enough handicapped that he’s got a decent each way chance here.

Ascot 13.35 – Pingshou

Pingshou is a Grade 1 winner but we’ve been struggling to reproduce that form, although we did manage to win a little race with him earlier in the summer.

He’s had small setbacks but we’re all systems go with him again now, this trip should be right up his street and he’s got experience over fences now. He’s a capable horse on his day, but he’s not the easiest to train and it’s not easy to win with him.

Ascot 15.20 – Mister Malarkey & Ultragold

We were going to Sandown next weekend with Mister Malarkey on route to the Ladbrokes Trophy, but he won the Grade 2 Reynoldstown around Ascot last season and does love this track.

Some people might say we’re silly running in a handicap ahead of the Ladbrokes, but we think he’s improved again this year and is up to running well here, and it is a £100,000 race and so a big prize in its own right.

As you’d expect for that sort of money it’s a really deep race but he’s among the market leaders and deserves to be.

Our other runner is Ultragold, and we just wanted to get a run into him ahead of his return to Aintree next month.

He’s a stone better over the National fences, so we’ll probably go for the shorter Grand Sefton rather than the Becher, although that’s yet to be decided.

He’s nearly 11 so will soon be running in the Veterans’ races, but he should give Harry Kimber a nice spin round here and hopefully might pick up some prize money.

Wetherby 13.20 – Valhalla

We’ve had a few little problems with Valhalla, and he does struggle to win now, but this 0-125 handicap over 2 ½ miles is perfect for him to start off again, and his co-owner Jon Romans is here for Elegant Escape so it made sense to bring him here.

Wetherby 15.40 – Elegant Escape

The aforementioned Elegant Escape is one of our big hopes for the season. He looks a million dollars, he’s got to take another step up and his run in the Charlie Hall Chase here will tell us more about which direction we take with him.

He’s only seven so is entitled to improve, he’s in the Ladbrokes Trophy, but if he did win here, beating a quality field with the likes of La Bague Au Roi and last year’s winner Definitly Red, he might end up at Haydock in the Betfair Chase.

He was 6th in the Gold Cup last season, and that after a hard campaign, so if he improves again, which you can expect at that age, he’s not far off Gold Cup class.

He goes well fresh, and while it won’t be easy to beat the mare [La Bague Au Roi] here, I think he’ll go close.  This is a lovely first race for him, and we’ll have options for him after it.

Sunday

Carlisle 12.45 – Faustinovick

We had to look after Faustinovick last year, to let him grow up, but his one Bumper run [second to McFabulous] showed the ability we always thought he had, as the winner at Newbury that day went on to win at Aintree.

We’ve had a clean run with him this summer, he’s schooled very well and this is a lovely opportunity to start him off, we’re really looking forward to running him.

Carlisle 14.30 – Lostintranslation

We’ve had this race in mind for Lostintranslation for some time now, it’s the ideal stepping stone to Haydock [Betfair Chase].

He’s done everything right at home, schooled very well, and this 2 ½ miles trip will be absolutely fine for him. We’re just excited about running him, we’ve made no secret of how highly we rate him, we expect him to improve again and hope he will develop into a serious Gold Cup contender.

Everything he’s achieved so far suggests he can be that good, and this is the perfect place to start him off, he can get his eye in, should hopefully take all the beating, and then be ready to take the next step up at Haydock.