Trainer and Coral ambassador Joe Tizzard discusses the chances of all his runners on Boxing Day and Wednesday, as well as reflecting on Triple Trade’s victory at Ascot.
It was great to have a winner on Saturday at Ascot with Triple Trade. He got there just in time, but I think he would have won even easier had he not made a mistake at the fourth fence from home.
Hopefully, we can carry that momentum into the festive period now where I have lots of runners on Boxing Day and on Coral Welsh Grand National Day.
This will be her first time over fences, but she is off a very good mark. I am very happy with all the schooling she has done at home, and she has had a prep run over hurdles. There is very little between the four runners in the field. If So Said I can put everything she has shown at home to the track, she will have an excellent chance. She will definitely be winning races over fences this season.
I have always been keen to go chasing with Off To A Flyer. He is a lovely big horse who should appreciate fences. I don’t want the ground to dry out too much for him. We will ride him aggressively and use his jumping to his advantage. I think he is a big price and has a great each-way chance.
She was pulled up on her debut under rules and she failed to get around on her two appearances in point-to-points. We are sticking a tongue-tie on her now and the aim will be to get her to complete her race.
He ran well at Exeter last time out and he was successful in this race 12 months ago with Freddie (Gingell) on board. This is a nice opportunity for him. He seems in good form at home. I expect him to be thereabouts at the finish.
I think this horse is my best chance of a winner on Boxing Day. He didn’t do a lot wrong at Exeter when he got rid of Brendan Powell. He was travelling well up to that point. Wincanton will suit him, and it is a course he has won around as a novice. I think he will take a bit of beating.
Ticking Tom Bomb has had a couple of nice runs in novice races. The handicapper has not been that fair to him but if he builds on what he has shown so far, he won’t be far away.
Ventara didn’t quite get home last time out but a drop back down to 2m will suit him. I don’t think there is much between by two runners in this race.
This looks like a hot bumper. Ambion View is a lovely horse who will be a good novice hurdler next season, so we are taking our time with him. I expect him to run a nice race and whatever happens, I certainly feel he is a horse to follow next season.
Wednesday
1.05 Chepstow/2.30 Kempton – War Lord
He got stuck on terrible ground at Aintree last time where a lot of runners didn’t handle it. If you go back to Haldon Gold Cup form, you would give him a solid chance. If we get a lot of rain, I may not run him. There is a race at Sandown later in the month which I am also considering. Chepstow is the most likely option on Tuesday should the ground be suitable.
1.40 Chepstow – Eldorado Allen
He ran an excellent race in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. I have put him in this hurdles race to get another run in him. There are a lot of options left for this horse over hurdles and fences this season. I will make a decision on his participation on Tuesday morning.
1.55 Kempton – Bourbali
He bolted up at Kempton last time out and he loves the track. This horse takes lengths out of his rivals with his jumping. He will be ridden from the front and if everything goes right for him, they might just struggle to peg him back. He deserves to take his chance for this big pot.
2.30 Kempton – Elixir De Nutz
This horse has been in cracking form. The handicapper is catching up with him every time, but he seems very happy with himself. He jumps for fun, and he will be right up there. This is only a small field and that will favour him.
It was a real shame that The Big Breakaway could not get there in time in the Coral Grand National last year. He is back again for another shot, and although he is off a 4lb lower mark now, his form has not been great. He did not take to the Grand National fences at Aintree in the Becher Chase last time, but he did not have a hard race. I gave him a day’s hunting on Saturday just to freshen him up and he loved that. Blinkers are going back on and if he runs anything near to what he did last year, he would have an excellent chance.
