Joe Tizzard: “Kilbricken Storm has to be competitive off his current mark”

Coral ambassador previews the Tizzard stables’ Cheltenham Day Three runners

Cheltenham 13.30 – Reserve Tank

Reserve Tankwas a dual Grade 1-winning novice hurdler, and he’s not done an awful lot wrongover fences this season, finishing second at Chepstow first time up, winning aGrade 2, and then finishing second in another Grade 2 when he didn’t run hisrace. 

He’s not a horse who likes the winter months. He’s not easyto train at that time of year, but he’s just coming right.

Ideally, we’d have liked a bit more spring-like weather inrecent weeks, so we could have got a run into him, in which case I’d have fanciedhim strongly, but we are where we are and I think he can still run a big race.

That said, hewill improve for this run, with the other big festivals to look forward to,although that doesn’t mean he should be underestimated here.

He’s a very, very good horse, I just wish we could have gotthat extra run into him, at Exeter, or Kempton, but the wintry weather was justagainst us. 

I can see him running into a place here, and then he couldstake some beating at Aintree or Punchestown.

Cheltenham 14.10 – Kilbricken Storm

The ownerswere keen to run him in the Stayers’ Hurdle, but as an Albert Bartlett winnerrunning off a mark of 140, we thought this was the better option for KilbrickenStorm. 

That said, it took a few goes to get him qualified for thisPertemps Final, we lost a couple of Exeter meetings, a Chepstow, so we ended uptaking him to Haydock, where third place sealed his spot here.

Off hiscurrent mark I’m sure he has to be competitive here, he’s in good form at home,and his best run came at the Cheltenham Festival, so he clearly likes ithere. 

As you’d expect it’s an ultra-competitive race, but if heruns to somewhere near his best form, he could be right in the mix.  Harry[Cobden] rides, he’s his ride when he’s available, he knows the horse insideout, so it’s a simple decision.

Cheltenham 15.30 – West Approach

Paisley Parkis going to be very hard to beat in the Stayers’ Hurdle, but we run WestApproach in the race. He is fully exposed, but he runs well at Cheltenham,and if we could pick up some prize money, it would be a job well done.

Cheltenham 16.10 – Vision Des Flos

Vision DesFlos is a classy horse on his day, although he just falls short of that properGrade 1 standard, and we did make several entries for him here, before decidingthat although he might lack a bit of chasing experience for a handicap of thisnature, he was better off running here than in a Grade 1 like the Marsh orArkle. 

He’ll love the ground, and our Cheltenham record reminded usthat we can have big-priced winners here, so he’s not without a chance, we dohold him in high regard at home, and if he can show that here, he could outrunhis odds.

Joe