Joe Tizzard: “War Lord shouldn’t be the price he is”
Coral ambassador Joe Tizzard gives the lowdown on the team’s Cheltenham Festival day one runners
The big week gets under way with a seriously hot Supreme Novices’ and we run JPR One, who in this company is an outsider, and understandably so. However I don’t think he’ll disgrace himself, and I don’t see him finishing last, he’s a lovely young horse that we think plenty of.
We ran him in a handicap last time, and he was just a bit too keen that day, so here we’ll drop him in and ride him to finish his race, and this will give him the experience of running at a big festival. If he could finish in the first five in such a good race we’d be delighted.
I think War Lord is overpriced in the Arkle. He’s done nothing wrong this year, winning three times, as well as finishing second to Edwardstone in the Henry VII, and that one is obviously favourite here.
This has been the plan for him for a while, they’ll go like the clappers here and as he got further over hurdles, a strong pace shouldn’t be a problem.
If he can get into a good rhythm with his jumping I can see him running into a place, I’m not saying we can reverse Sandown places with Edwardstone, but he shouldn’t be the price he is here.
Cheltenham 2.50 – Lostintranslation & Oscar Elite
We run two in the Ultima, one towards the top of the handicap, and one down the bottom.
Lostintranslation is having his first run in a handicap for us, and I think if he can run to his Ascot form from earlier in the season, and the rain stays away – as he has become more ground dependant as he’s got older, he could still be a well-handicapped horse.
We’re also putting the cheek pieces on him for the first time, if these help and he travels as well as we know he’s capable of, he is a graded horse in a handicap and I’d be disappointed if he’s not there or thereabouts turning in, and then we’ll see.
Brendan Powell has only ridden him this season, so he’s got the good experience from Ascot to draw upon here and he was always going to be on board him.
I was delighted that Oscar Elite got into the race as this was the one we wanted to run him in this week.
On his Albert Bartlett Hurdle form he’s a well-handicapped horse, although it’s fair to say this season hasn’t quite panned out as we’d have hoped. Perhaps his fall behind Threeunderthrufive here earlier in the season took enough out of him.
He looks really nice at home, and he’s another that if he gets into a good rhythm, he can get involved at the business end.
With Brendan on board Lost, we’ve had Harry [Cobden] lined up for the ride if he got in, so that’s all worked out well.
Joe
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