Joe Tizzard: “We certainly haven’t lost any faith in Lostintranslation”
Published:
Coral ambassador previews the Tizzard stables’ Gold Cup Dayrunners
Cheltenham 14.10 – Eldorado Allen
Eldorado Allenis a nice horse, but he picked up an injury at Aintree last season, meaning hewas out for over a year.
Despite that absence the handicapper didn’t miss after hisfirst run back at Sandown, and then we possibly ran him a bit too soon back atSandown in the Contenders Hurdle.
Rated 150, he’s got top weight here in a very competitiverace, but whatever happens here, he’s a lovely horse who will go novice chasingnext season, and I’m convinced he’ll be top class.
Cheltenham 14.50 – Harry Senior & Lieutenant Rocco
We run twonice ones in the Albert Bartlett. Harry Senior has just improved allseason, we were a bit disappointed second time up at Exeter, but as it turnedout he was beaten by Sporting John, who went on to win a Grade 2.
He loved the two-and-a-half miles trip here on FestivalTrials day, when he won well, and he should appreciate the extra half mile heretoo, so if he carries on improving as he has done so far this campaign, heshould have a chance in a wide open race.
LieutenantRocco is still totally unexposed, and we just don’t know where he might endup. He’s won his two novice hurdles impressively, beating a solid 132horse with a penalty last time, and it wasn’t an easy decision for Robbie[Power] to choose Harry Senior over this fellow, as he doesn’t know how goodLieutenant Rocco could be.
He jumps and gallops, and he’s a big strong horse who willmake a lovely chaser, but as far as this race is concerned, we just don’t knowhow he’ll run, it might be too big a step for him, but it might not be!
Cheltenham 15.30 – Elegant Escape and Lostintranslation
We run anotherpair in the Gold Cup. Elegant Escape is a horse who will always have tocarry big weights in handicaps, so it was a fairly easy decision to run himhere off levels.
We do have one eye on next month’s Grand National for him,but if it comes up soft here, turns into a bit of a slog, he’ll be one doingall his best work at the end.
We can rule out his last run, at Haydock, it just neverhappened for him that day, but Jonjo [O’Neill] has schooled him and they wentwell.
He finished sixth in last year’s Gold Cup, and we’d bedelighted with a repeat of that. If he comes out of the race well it would beall systems go for Aintree.
Lostintranslationseems in great form at home, and we’ve also taken him away for a racecoursegallop. We did tweak his wind after the King George, and he looks amillion dollars.
Unlike for Elegant Escape though, it’s a case of the drierthe ground the better for him, so far this week it has looked quite testing outthere.
It is a wide-openGold Cup, and I’d be disappointed if Lost wasn’t travelling two furlongs out,and then we would be entering the unknown, that final two furlongs up theCheltenham hill.
We have to put a line through his Kempton run, that wasn’thim at all, but on his Haydock form he comes here with a great chance. Wecertainly haven’t lost any faith in him.
Of all theirrivals, Al Boum Photo would be the one I respect the most. He’s been thereand done it, and although winning back-to-back Gold Cups is not going to beeasy, Willie Mullins has given him the same prep as last year, he comes herefresh, and looks the one to beat.
Joe
