Joe Tizzard: “Cue Card has a huge chance on the bare form”

The ground has been hard work. The jockeys were saying it was even more hard work yesterday than on Tuesday. It’s proper National Hunt ground and it only happens once in twenty years now at Cheltenham, and it’s much better than contending with fast ground and watering.

For all the focus on the ground I don’t think anything out of the ordinary has won, in fact most of the right horses have won the big races and that shows that the ground is fine.

Our horses have been running well, but we knew that the last two days were where we had our best chances.

JLT Novices Chase – Finian’s Oscar and West Approach

I think Finian’s Oscar is being under-rated in this contest. He had some good form in the autumn and then he was wrong.

He’s had a little wind op and he will have the cheekpieces on and I think he’s going to run a huge race. He’s the forgotten horse. He has masses of potential.

West Approach has the ability, there are no two ways about it. He’s been wearing blinkers at home.

He’s a horse that has won one maiden hurdle around Newton Abbot and yet he’s rated higher than most of our horses so you can’t rule him out. It could happen.

He won an ordinary race at Ffos Las and an ordinary contest at Exeter, but if he tries and it happens for him today, then he has an outside chance. He will handle the ground for sure.

Ryanair Chase – Cue Card

I don’t want to hype Cue Card up too much but he walked into the yard this morning like a four year old. He is in great form.

He is every bit as good, if not better, than he was before Ascot and that form would be good enough to give him a huge chance. I’m nervous to really fancy him but I do think he ticks all the boxes.