Joe Tizzard: “I’m expecting a big run from Elixir de Nutz”

The latest insight from the Tizzard stables

15.05 Cheltenham – Elixir de Nutz

I think Elixir de Nutz will sharpen up for the run, that’s for sure. He had an away day at Newbury, the morning after the Ladbrokes Trophy and he galloped really well.

He’s schooled well on the Wednesday mornings and we are just very excited about running him. There’s improvement to come but we have done enough with him to be ready.

I don’t think it’s the deepest International Hurdle. Pentland Hills is rated the same as our horse. There’s no outstanding Champion Hurdle prospect in the race, and it looks quite open. So I’m expecting a big run from Elixir de Nutz but I know he’ll improve for it.

He’s a 153 rated hurdler off the back of his novice year, and his last run was a Grade 1 win. We’ve not had a live Champion Hurdle prospect, but this horse everything a Champion Hurdle horse needs to.

He’s quick through the air over his hurdles and he’s a rapid horse. When he gallops Harry has a job to hold him. Top two milers need to be a little bit wired and he is.

I never rode in a Champion Hurdle and never really had the chance to ride a top two miler so it would be great to train one.

In my day Paul Nicholls never really had a Champion Hurdle horse, and although we ran Cue Card in the International, he was never going to be a Champion Hurdle horse.

15.40 Cheltenham – Dinos Benefit

She’s not really taken off over fences. Her best form was over hurdles last year. This is a nice Mares Handicap Hurdle and 2m4f around Cheltenham will be right up her street.

She’s pretty exposed but it’s a nice race and a lovely day out for her owners. She does have an each way chance in the race.

Plumpton on Monday – Battle Of Ideas

He’s in really good nick and this looks a nice little race for him. We’ll declare him on Sunday. He came out of his last run really well and he’s thriving at the moment.

This race has probably come around a little bit sooner than we’d ideally like but it just looks such a good opportunity for him.

When you look back he’s had a wind issue which we’ve sorted, and he had some ulcers which we treated, and then he had lymphangitis, so he’s just not been particularly healthy over the summer.

But since he’s come back in he’s been really well in himself, his skin looks great, and he’s enjoying his work. It’s the best we’ve had him to be perfectly honest.

Ladbrokes King George and Coral Welsh Grand National Plans

We’ll have a chat with John and Heather Snook this weekend about Thistlecrack as the decision on whether to run in the Marsh Hurdle or the Ladbrokes King George will be up to them.

We don’t actually have to make the final decision until Thursday morning but we will be talking about it today, and we’ll work it out.

He’ll be trained exactly the same, we’re not going to change much, but we’ll school him over a fence on Wednesday rather than a hurdle if we are going for the King George.

I think Elegant Escape will be our one runner in the Coral Welsh Grand National.

Garth and Anne Broom are keen for Native River to go to the Cheltenham Gold Cup reasonably fresh, so we’ll likely target the Cotswold Chase or the Denman Chase for him.

He’ll just have the one run and then we’ll have a real good crack at the Gold Cup again.

Joe