Joe Tizzard: ‘Eldorado Allen has been crying out for this longer trip.’

Coral ambassador Joe Tizzard previews his stable’s runners on day one of the Grand National Festival

Our man Joe Tizzard gives us the run down on his stable’s runners on day one at Aintree, including Native River in the Betway Bowl Chase.

13:45 Aintree – Eldorado Allen

He ran a blinder coming second in the Arkle. He looks like he’s been crying out for a longer trip. I think two miles and four furlongs will suit him. We are really looking forward to running him. He’s come out of Cheltenham well.

I don’t think the ground will be too different from what he encountered at Cheltenham. They are watering to make sure it’s really safe ground. He looked like he was flat out for the first mile at Cheltenham and he just kept galloping, and he’s done that before. So I’m sure this step up to two and a half miles will help him.

14:50 Aintree – Native River

Good old Native River. We just think maybe Native River remembers Cheltenham, and that tough race winning the Gold Cup, because he didn’t travel in the race two years ago when he finished fourth and it was the same again this year. Dickie [Johnson] had to keep on asking him throughout the race, but he stayed on well, and was the best of the British horses, beating the King George winner.

He seems to have come out of the race really well. We will walk the course and double-check the ground’s fine for him but I’m confident it will be. We are really looking forward to running him. With Dickie now retired, Jonjo [O’Neill] is taking the ride and he’s won on him before.

He’s got some seriously good form at Aintree, arguably some of his best form. He ran a blinder last Autumn in The Many Clouds when they took some of the fences out, and he won the race impressively the year before, and won a Grade 1 novice a few years ago. He’s in good nick, we’re pleased with where he is.