WALTZ FOR TENNESSEE Tizzard lands one-two

SCU BEAUTY: Scudamore steers Sizing Tennessee to victory COLIN TIZZARD’S remark that he is “quite good at training big slow horses” proved an understatement after he made it a one-two in the Ladbrokes Trophy.

He watched Sizing Tennessee ease to victory from stablemate Elegant Escape at Newbury. Dingo Dollar, always in the firing line, finished third with Beware The Bear a well-beaten fourth.

Thomas Patrick, sent off the 3-1 favourite, failed to fire after vying for the lead in the early stages but after a succession of jumping errors he folded tamely and was pulled up before the third-last fence. West Approach, also trained by Tizzard, finished a commendable fifth. Tizzard, successful in the contest with Native River two years ago, admitted he was surprised by the result but took inspiration about his prospects from the winning rider Tom Scudamore.

“Tom filled me with encouragement when he told me that he’s the best handicapped horse in the race,” said Tizzard. “I thought Elegant Escape was the one for us in the race.

“Sometimes you get lucky and we certainly did today.”

Tizzard is now toying with the idea of following the same route with Sizing Tennessee as the one taken by Native River who went on to capture the Welsh Grand National in the same season.

But a crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which Native River won last season, is very unlikely.

“He’s three years older than Native River,” said Tizzard. “But if the entries came out tomorrow, I must admit I would enter him!

“But really you would have to say this was this horse’s Gold Cup today.”

Like Tizzard, it was a second victory in this iconic race for Scudamore, successful with Madison Du Berlais in 2008, who said: “I lost my grandad two weeks ago – my mum’s father – and it was his funeral yesterday and I wasn’t able to go.

“Those are the sacrifices you make and I was so sorry not to be there but he was with us today. He was a tremendous man and helped a lot of people. It’s one for him.”