Joe Tizzard Cheltenham Festival 2025 day one blog

Our second runner is a much bigger price then The Changing Man, but as a yard we've had a few big priced winners here over the years, and have never been afraid of running one that the market considers an outsider. Rock My Way only joined us in January, and we ran him pretty quickly after that, when he finished second at Doncaster. 

He looks much better now than he did then, he's really come into his coat and seems on really good terms with himself. We've schooled him in blinkers and they really seemed to sharpen him up, so he'll have them on her

He does need to prove he gets this three miles six furlongs trip, but on this ground I think he will. And while he does need a lifetime best to win this, it’s the right race for him, the new conditions of the race mean Brendan [Powell] can ride him, and we had no hesitation in coming here. 

Even without Lossiemouth, this is a Champion Hurdle to savour.  State Man is the reigning champion, while Brighterdaysahead, having beaten him twice this season, comes here as the best hurdler in Ireland.  Even so, I am very much in the Constitution Hill camp. It was well documented that things just did not go to plan for this horse last year, but in Nicky Henderson, he was in the best possible hands to come back to his best, and I think that's what we'll see on Tuesday.

Nicky has been so open with everyone, he didn't have to work him publicly again but he did, and bar that one last hurdle scare last time, he's looked brilliant on the track this season. Without doubt he's one of the best horses I've seen in the last 20 years and I hope, and think, he will prove it again here.

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