Joe Tizzard: “I think War Lord is just coming right”

Trainer and Coral ambassador Joe Tizzard discusses his two runners at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday.

Pertemps Network Final, 2.10 – The Changing Man

The Changing Man is a lovely progressive young horse, who has improved with every run, as his rising handicap mark has confirmed. He did need to go up in the handicap to get in here, and I think he’s still improving, which again, he will need to to figure here.

He will love the ground, and won’t mind any more rain, as he’s got winning form on soft, and he’s a horse who travels strongly through his races, so I can see him being there turning for home, and then it’s a case of whether he’s good enough to get involved or not. Whatever happens here though, he’s a lovely young horse who I like a lot.

Magners Plate, 4.10 – War Lord

I think War Lord is just coming right for the season. He probably paid the price for having such a good novice chase season, but around Christmas I just didn’t have him right, and then at Wetherby last time he ran well on ground that was as quick as he wants it.

The softer going here this week will suit him, and we’ll ride him to finish in the places and see what he can do beyond that. He started the season off a mark of 148, which as I say did make life hard for him, but he’s coming back to that form now. He beat Il Ridoto fair and square at Lingfield last season, and that one is much shorter in the betting here, so our fellow is not without an each-way chance.