Thistlecrack ruled out for rest of season and misses Gold Cup

L Tizzard team ‘gutted’ by latest setback

Thistlecrack will miss the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup and the rest of the season.

The 10-year-old looked a potential superstar when winning the 2016 King George VI Chase but a tendon injury sustained last February saw him miss the 2017 Gold Cup and kept him out of action until December.

A lacklustre return over hurdles was followed by a fourthplace finish on his return to Kempton in the King George, but Colin Tizzard’s inmate is now set for another prolonged spell on the sidelines.

Assistant trainter Kim Tizzard told At The Races: “He was a little bit stiff behind after the King George and he’s been off and had X-rays and bone scans – it’s gutting.

“He ran a screamer at Kempton. He jumped really well and we were getting excited that the old Thistlecrack was still there. We were going for the Goldcup.hopefully,he’llhave his box rest and come back next season. We’re gutted for the team, the owners, everyone. But we’ve still got a horse at the end of the day.”

Meanwhile, Intimate Art has slipped back to his last winning mark and merits a small interest in the sunbets.co.uk Handicap at Southwell today.

Andrew Balding’s charge has seen only limited action to date, notching 10 runs as a four-year-old, and he has put up a bit of a mixed bag of performances.

A winner back in October 2016, he scored for a second time last July when winning what was a competitive heat at Chelmsford off a mark of 83, with all but two of his seven rivals that day going on to win themselves.

Intimate Art subsequently flopped on his next start on turf and was then off the track until last month, when he again finished well down the field on his return at Kempton.

He raced wide throughout on that occasion under a 7lb claimer but never looked like making any kind of impact, with the handicapper dropping him back to a perch of 83.

Balding has booked Oisin Murphy for the ride this time so Intimate Art will certainly not want for any help from the saddle and that recent outing should have got his eye back in ahead of this event.

Jack The Truth can claim a quickfire hat-trick in the Betway Handicap.

George Scott has seemingly found the key to this four-yearold as he appears to excel on the Southwell Fibresand, winning a maiden at the Nottinghamshire venue with the minimum of fuss before Christmas and then following up on his handicap bow last week.

While that was only an ordinary event, Jack The Truth won by an easy four lengths and a 6lb penalty should not stop his current progress.

Unioniste must be the pick in the Geoffrey Bosley “Tally Ho” Open Hunters’ Chase at Taunton despite the fact he has been off the track for 299 days. A classy chase performer in his pomp for Paul Nicholls, the grey perhaps failed to really fulfil the potential he appeared to have in his younger days, but will surely be good enough for this test. l Tomorrow’s meeting at Ayr is under threat with an inspectionplannedthismorning.the track is reported to be frozen in places.