PADDY'S ON CUE FOR BIG DOUBLE

PADDY BRENNAN made it four wins from four rides on Colin’s Sister in the Weatherbys Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown yesterday.

And he was buzzing about the prospects of riding Cue Card in today’s Betfair Chase at Ascot.

“Obviously, I have had two great rides to look forward to at the end of the week and one of them, Colin’s Sister, has now won,” said Brennan, right. “I think a lot of this mare. She’s been very good to me, winning four races on the bounce.

“She’s a credit to her trainer Fergal O’Brien. Cue Card is in great form. I was down at Colin Tizzard’s the other day and he looks a million dollars. “It’s a great testament to Colin and his team how well the horse looks and is going. “He feels great. The Ascot race has always been the plan since the King George (on Boxing Day at Kempton). It’s cut up a bit. But I hope he can go there and show everybody what he’s capable of.” Cue Card, the runner-up to Thistlecrack, his stable companion, in the King George, will be hoping to book his ticket for next month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

“I schooled him and all is well,” said Brennan. “It’s a big day. We’re hoping for a big performance.

“We’re going there to win and we are not thinking about any other race. There will be a lot of questions answered.”

But the question everybody wants to know is can Cue Card turn the tables on Thistlecrack?

“Cue Card was definitely a bit below par at Kempton,” said Brennan. “We are not just thinking of Thistlecrack in the Gold Cup.

“Native River [also trained by Tizzard] is more of a danger than anything else.

“He’s the one we all have to beat.”