Joe Tizzard “‘I think War Lord is capable of running another big race”

The Coral ambassador previews the Team Tizzard runners on Saturday

With just two runners, from Newbury and Kelso, Joe also discusses the run-up to Cheltenham.

“It’s a fairly quiet weekend for us, with just the five runners, but that’s not unusual as we get this close to Cheltenham. The Festival runners have had a good week, they’ve all done plenty of work so that we can back off them a little bit now. Touch wood they all seem in lovely form, they’re all fit and well, and we’ll be happy if that stays the same.

We won’t be taking the biggest team this year. That’s because firstly we’ve had a quiet season so a few of our novice hurdlers in particular just aren’t ready to go there, and secondly, with owners unable to be there, there isn’t that demand to have runners that they can be there to see. However, while our numbers will be down, we do think everything we’re taking there has a chance.

They’ll do their last pieces of fast work this Saturday (6th) morning, and then we can just keep them ticking over. With Lostintranslation for example, he’s done plenty this week, he came out Newbury well but he was perhaps just a bit short of match fitness that day.

It will be a very different Festival this year with no crowds. Make no mistake having a winner will still be very important, but for a trainer or jockey who has their first Festival winner for example, it will be very strange not to get that special Cheltenham celebration. But as always we are just grateful that we’re all still racing, and we’ll be back there next year to enjoy it even more.”

Newbury 13.15 – Sizing Codelco & West Approach

We run two in the Veterans’ Chase. West Approach did what West Approach does so often last time in a similar contest at Doncaster, ran well without winning, and I’m sure he’ll perform to his usual high standard here, which could well see him in the frame again.

Sizing Codelco ran well for a long way on his second run back after a long lay-off at Taunton last time out, and he does always save his best form for this time of the year. He’ll certainly love the good ground, he’s in good nick at home and I can see him having an each-way chance.

Kelso 14.05 – War Lord

We’re taking War Lord all the way up to Kelso, but this looks a race that ticks a lot of boxes for him. You can forget his last run, but prior to that he was running well in these competitive handicaps, and I think he’s still capable of running another big race this season, before we look forward to going chasing with him next season.

Joe