Tizzard to see past Translation in hot King George
Lostintranslation will win the King George at Kempton and help us to land a beefy Christmas Yankee.
Colin Tizzard’s up-and-coming star can follow in the hoofprints of brilliant s tablemates l i ke Cue Card and Thistlecrack and land the festive highlight on Boxing Day. Lostintranslation absolutely screams future hero with his ascent up the ranks stunning.
Defeat in last year’s JLT at the Cheltenham Festival was a sore one, but the form of victor Defi Du Seuil since proved it was a top-class effort as did the success at Aintree the following month.
Stepping into the senior ranks, Lostintranslation jumped like a veteran on seasonal debut at Carlisle before his fabulous win over Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase at Haydock cemented his status as the real deal.
Boxing Day is another big step on a track which may not suit ideally but he’s got the class to see off the Paul Nicholls brigade.
No one has won the race more times than Nicholls and he’s got two superb candidates in the shape of last year’s winner Clan Des Obeaux and the sensational Cyrname.
Clan’s return at Down Royal was decent behind Road to Respect but there’s a nagging suspicion he won a weak renewal of the King George 12 months ago and Cyrname, the pick of Harry Cobden, is the bigger danger.
An absolute weapon at Ascot, he brought Altior’s 19-run winning tag to an end last month to get ready for this. Nicholls is convinced he’ll get three miles and he probably will, but could set the race up beautifully for the stalking Lostintranslation.
It promises to be a tremendous head- to- head but Tizzard’s young charge looks the real deal and can cement a place at the head of the Gold Cup market with a marquee triumph.
As usual , the festive period is jam-packed with brilliant races and it’s tough to try and narrow things down.
The best advice every year is to concentrate on just one or two meetings and don’t go daft on Boxing Day when there’s about a race a minute.
There’s so much going on that Racing TV have created a brand-new channel for the day just to show the Irish meetings on Thursday and that’s perfect as the racing at Leopardstown is also phenomenal.
There are so many high-class clashes pencilled in for the Fox rock venue and it’s a real standout four days of action. Of all the big showdowns, there are two I want to get stuck into and the first is Friday’s Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle where BLUE SARI can get the better of Abacadabras.
Gordon Elliott’s horse is favourite having run Envoi Allen close over hurdles but Willie Mullins’ Blue Sari was even closer to that rival in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and this switch to two miles looks perfect.
In Saturday’s Savi l ls Chase, I’d like to have a crack at PRESENTING PERCY. Nothing went right for Pat Kelly’s charge last term but he still went off favourite for the Gold Cup.
Obviously, that didn’t work out but his reappearance was full of promise and this is the day when he’s going to have to show if he’s the real deal or not.
Back at Kempton on Boxing Day, look out for FUSIL RAFFLES putting down a marker for the Champion Hurdle.
Although the market for the big one in March is murky, ante-post favourite Klassical Dream can lay a claim a week today but Nicky Henderson’s charge can slam down the opening marker.
Fusil Raffles was workmanlike on his return at Wincanton but there’s been a glint in the eye of the Seven Barrows maestro when discussing this one and a big run is fancied.
The Welsh National at Chepstow on Friday is another festive highlight and there are two each-way bets worth having a go at.
Nicholls appears to have primed TRUCKERS LODGE for the event, while Christian Williams’ POTTERS CORNER has also been laid out for the contest. Have two each-way bets.