Joe Tizzard: “I think Elixir Du Nutz has a great chance, I really do”
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New Year’s Day review and weekend insight from the Tizzard stables
Lostintranslation
I couldn’t have been more pleased with his win at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
He’s a horse we hold in high regard and we couldn’t be more pleased with the way he travelled and jumped.
He’s clearly learned from the mistake he made at Newbury. He was so gutsy after the last. He’s got a massive future.
The form of all his three runs is rock solid and he deserves to be favourite for the JLT. We ran him in the Supreme last year, and I think two and a half miles will be his trip for this season.
The ground will be similar at the Festival as it was on New Year’s Day. And then next season we might look to step him up in trip, with races like the King George as the target.
The owners are tempted by Leopardstown’s Dublin Festival so he’ll have an entry, or we could go to Sandown for the Scilly Isles, or we could go straight to Cheltenham and the spring festivals.
White Moon
It was nice to see the way he jumped the last three fences in particular. He was locked on and going forward.
He will need another run before we start targeting the Festivals. He deserved that as he took a nasty fall two runs ago.
Sizing Tennessee
He’s given himself a slight tendon injury when he won the Ladbrokes trophy so he has to miss the rest of the season.
I see the handicapper has jacked him up to 163 after Elegant Escape won the Coral Welsh Grand National.
So next year he’s going to be 11years old rising 12 years old off a mark of 163 which won’t be easy.
Fox Norton
He’s doing well and we are weighing up whether to go to the Clarence House at Ascot or the Game Spirit at Newbury.
We’d love to get a prep run in to him. We had to enter him for Ascot. He’s schooled well and he’s been working well so we’ll see what the weather does before making a decision.
He’ll have a Ryanair entry and a Champion Chase entry.
Saturday – Sandown
I am really excited about running him. His form has been franked well and he is a horse on the upgrade.
There was no fluke about his win at Cheltenham. I think he has a great chance in the Tolworth, I really do.
Theatre Guide has been a cracking horse for us over the years. He’s just struggling a bit at the moment.
You can’t say these Veteran’s races are any easier because you get a maximum field and they are ultra-competitive. He’ll need to improve on his recent form but he has got good form around Sandown.
Kings Lad will love the drying ground. We ran him to quickly last time so we’ve just freshened him up for this. His form around Chepstow beating Exitas looks strong. He could run a solid race.
Saturday – Wincanton
He was in the process of running a nice race at Warwick but he had a horrible over-reach and had to have his joint flushed, hence he hasn’t run since.
Two miles around Wincanton should be perfect for him and he’s in the right grade.
He’s 8lbs wrong at the weights, but the owners live locally and are keen for him to run. He’s run well there the time before.
The only reason he was pulled up on Boxing Day was because the saddle slipped. That said he is 8lbs wrong at the weights so it will be a bit tough for him.
He has definitely got a chance. Two and half miles around Wincanton will definitely suit him.
He was in the process of running a big race last time when his jockey was knocked out of the saddle at the second last. He would be our best chance of the weekend.
He had a hard summer so good to get him back. This drying ground will suit him and he can carry a big weight. It’s nice to get him back for a decent spring campaign but he does run well fresh.
Sunday – Plumpton
This looks a seriously hot novice chase. He has schooled really well at home. He chipped a bit of bone in his knee at Aintree last season so was never going to run until now.
He’s fit and well and we are looking forward to starting his season. We couldn’t have found a tougher novice chase to start in through.
He was disappointing last year. He was a weak finisher.
But he’s rated 90 and he’s done some decent pieces of work that suggest he’s better than that and he’s had a wind op so he could be the right end of the handicap. We are looking forward to running him.
Joe
