Joe Tizzard: “Eldorado Allen is fit and ready to go again”
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Trainer and Coral ambassador Joe Tizzard previews his weekend runners and looks ahead to next weekend’s Coral Gold Cup.
Saturday
He had three races over hurdles last season and he failed to get off the mark, so he is kind of getting the rewards for that now. He couldn’t have been any more impressive at Plumpton on his opening start of the campaign. That was a race he was expected to win, but he did it in style.
This race has cut up a little, which makes life easier. He has run well around Ascot before, and I think he will go very close in this race.
I was chuffed to bits with his run at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall Chase where he finished second to Bravemansgame. I don’t think there are any question marks about this horse’s stamina over 3m now.
We are coming up against the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner (A Plus Tard) and Protektorat, who finished third in that race. However, if those two horses are not at their best, Eldorado is ready to take advantage of that, as he is fit and ready to go again.
He is in good form, but we are just scratching our heads by last season. We have been plagued a little by sore shins. He did a fantastic schooling session on Wednesday. We are happy with him and there is still time for him to be successful over fences.
Hopefully, he will have a good run in this race, and he gives us something to build on for the rest of the campaign.
Sunday
She won nicely the first time out at Fontwell. Some of her jumping was what you’d expect from a novice, but she got the job done.
I am sure there will be some improvement in her. She will need to carry a penalty, but she is a nice mare and I expect her to run well again.
He needs to bounce back from a fall at Chepstow last time out. What we will be looking for is a clean round of jumping. Exeter is a lovely place to start with a novice.
He was unlucky to fall last time as he just crumbled on landing. If he gets into a nice rhythm to his jumping, he will have an each-way chance.
He is a progressive young horse who has won his last two races now. Last time out at Ffos Las, he stayed on strongly at the end of that contest. He has come out of that race well.
This is a little different as it will be 2m7½f on soft ground. He has a good racing weight and I believe he is still on the upgrade.
Faustinovick dominated his race at Chepstow earlier this month. He has come out of it well, so he is ready to go again. This is a much hotter race than he faced last time but he should step on that, and I expect him to be in the mix again.
Sizing Cusimano won very well the first time out earlier this year and then the handicapper put him up 10lb, which took any chance away from him. He has dropped back down to a more workable mark now. This horse gallops all day, so on soft ground at Exeter, that should suit him.
He was very green last season and that showed in his results. This year we think he is a much stronger horse. He is showing more at home on the gallops now.
This will be another learning curve for him, but I think he is close to being competitive in a handicap race.
Next weekend
I am really looking forward to the Coral Gold Cup on Saturday week. It is a race we have won twice before. We were successful in 2016 with Native River (pictured below), while in 2018, Sizing Tennessee came out on top for us.
We have three horses entered in the race this year and they all head there with a lively chance. Fiddlerontheroof and Oscar Elite have both had their prep runs and I could not be happier with them.
Fiddlerontheroof was a close second in the race last year. Oscar Elite is still a novice, but he is effectively a second-season chaser. Both have solid form to their names over fences. It is a very competitive race this year, but I am excited by my horses’ chances.
Lostintranslation was meant to feature earlier this week at Warwick but the ground ended up being unsuitable. He is now set to go to Newbury without a prep run, which does not concern me too much as he won first time out last season.
Joe
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