Joe Tizzard Saturday runners blog: 'We want to run but the ground is a concern'

Coral presents its latest Joe Tizzard blog, with the leading trainer previewing his runners on Saturday at Sandown and Chepstow.

The first thing we need to happen this weekend is for all the meetings to go ahead as planned, with storms forecast for much of the country, Sandown and Chepstow are among the tracks who need to pass Saturday morning inspections.

If Sandown goes ahead, we start with an improving horse in Hartington. He ended up winning his last race at Newbury nicely, and as he stays well he won’t mind soft ground. He deserves his chance in this Listed company, it doesn’t look the hottest heat, but if he’s not up to it we can drop down to handicaps. I do think he can run well here though.

Gyenyame was fully entitled to win at Exeter last time, he was a short price favourite, but he jumped better than the time before, and I was slightly surprised the handicapper left him unchanged. He’s come out of that race well, and although this is a deeper race, I’d be disappointed if he didn’t run well.

No Hubs No Hoobs proved last year he likes a trip in testing conditions, and I’ve just got half an eye on the Coral Welsh National for him if he gets into the race. He might need to creep up a few pounds, so the timing of this works well if he can go close. He stays and jumps well so there’s no reason he can’t run a big race.

Investment Manager does his winning in the summer, this year and last, and again in September, but he does pay the price with the handicapper. He’ll run his usual consistent race I’m sure, but he’s off a high enough mark and that makes life hard for him at this time of year.

As well as the track having to pass an inspection, I will take a look at the track before we make a final decision on JPR One running in the Tingle Creek, as he is a lovely moving horse who wouldn’t want testing ground. He’s in the form of his life, but he will need to be, as he’s quite a long way wrong at the weights with some of these, in particular the hot favourite, Jonbon, who loves Sandown, but I’ve never been afraid of one horse and we are keen to take our chance.

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