Punchestown Festival 2015 news round-up: Tizzard, Meade and more

Tizzard’s star hurdler Thistlecrack heading to Punchestown
Runaway Aintree Grade 1 winner Thistlecrack was today confirmed to be on course for the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at next week’s Punchestown Festival.

Trained by Colin Tizzard, the gelding won the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle by 13 lengths at the Liverpool venue, and connections are hoping that he can finish his campaign on a high in the 3m Grade 1 on Wednesday, April 29th .

“The plan is to bring Thistlecrack over – he missed Cheltenham and then was very impressive at Aintree. He worked nicely this morning and I would imagine he will go over three miles again in the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle,” said Joe Tizzard, assistant to his father. “We’ve been patient with him as he’s had a few problems and we’re reaping the rewards.”

The Tizzard team will also be represented in Wednesday’s Grade 1 Bibby Financial Services Punchestown Gold Cup with stable star Cue Card, who was most recently second to Don Cossack in the Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree.

“Cue Card will go for the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup and the way he travelled and jumped he looked back to his old self for a long way at Aintree,” added Tizzard junior. “He worked nicely this week and he’ll be a fresh horse going into it and it’s nice to see him back racing.”

Meade hopeful Apache can make amends
Trainer Noel Meade is hoping that Apache Stronghold, a faller when travelling well at Fairyhouse on his latest start, can put up a bold show in the Grade 1 Growise Novice Chase on Tuesday, April 28th.

The seven-year-old, winner of the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown in February, had previously finished runner-up to Vautour in the Grade 1 JLT Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

“Apache Stronghold is okay after Fairyhouse and he’s going to run in the Growise Champion Novice Chase – he’s a good horse who has never disgraced himself yet,” said Meade.