Joe Tizzard: “The Dutchman has a real chance in the 2018 Grand National.”

My biggest regret was when I rode Knowhere for Nigel Twiston-Davies in 2008. I fell off him the fence after Valentines. It really haunts me as he was going so well.

He didn’t fall. He hit the fence and put down, and when he came up, a horse called King Johns Castle kicked me from behind ridden by Paul Carberry, and I came off.  

He would have gone close. I was gutted and it does haunt me.

Grand National memories

My earliest memory of the Grand National was West Tip winning. We always used to have our local Point to Point on that day and it was over at King’s Weston.

We used to get in the back of a lorry and watch it on a little TV set. I was a big fan of Richard Dunwoody so I was cheering him on. That is probably my earliest memory.

My first Grand National was the bomb-scare in 1997. I was seventeen years old. I came back in Paul Nicholls’ lorry, rode two winners at the local Point to Point on the Sunday and went back up on the Monday and rode in the re-arranged race.

It was a horse called Straight Talk, who I’d ridden twice. I hadn’t had enough winners to ride in the National, but I’d had plenty of experience, so Paul Nicholls managed to spin it.

I was the second-youngest to ride in the race at the time.  I’ll never forget it.

My Grandfather on my Mum’s side owned Loving Words who was second to Grittar, after unseating and remounting, in 1981.

The story behind that is the fact it took the jockey just 17 seconds to get back on after coming off.

He jinked at a loose horse and the jockey came off, but he kept hold of the reins, and managed to get back on in 17 seconds and he was beaten 16 seconds.

2.25 Aintree –  Lostintranslation

I’m very excited about him. He was disappointing at Haydock, when he wasn’t right, and we went to Cheltenham and ran really well.

He was hampered two out which cost him a lot of momentum. He got hampered by the winner so I wouldn’t say it cost him the race but he might have been placed.

But he looked like he was crying out for two and a half miles.

He was just always flat out. He is in great shape and hasn’t missed a beat since Cheltenham. It’s a competitive race but I’m expecting a big run.

He’s a horse we will go novice chasing with next year and will be even better over the bigger obstacles.

3.00 Aintree – Viconte Du Noyer

He’s been a bit disappointing in all fairness this season. He travelled well but stopped a bit quickly at Cheltenham.

He can be a bit like that. He was second to Sizing Granite at Punchestown and since then all he’s done is drop down the handicap.

He’s got a chance but you wouldn’t go in there with masses of confidence.

6.20 Aintree – Solatentif

He is a consistent little horse but he just lacks a bit of size.

If he was a hand bigger he could be quite a good horse. But he is consistent and he is going to have a summer campaign. He is rated high enough to get in this so he’s taking his chance.  

Joe