Hurdlers to clash again – Joe
having never threatened to land a blow.
A close-up third in the race last season, the Flemensfirth gelding has failed to rediscover that level of form in four subsequent outings.
“We’ve done quite a few tests (since Cheltenham) and nothing really steps out,” said Tizzard.
“He’s not going to go to Aintree. There’s a chance he might go to the Menorah Chase at Sandown on the last day of the season and drop down in grade a little bit.
“We can’t quite put our finger on what the problem is, but it’s not quite happening for him at the moment. It’s our job to suss it all out.”
Native River is set to be joined at Aintree by a handful of his stable companions who did perform well in defeat at Cheltenham.
Eldorado Allen finished a useful second behind Shishkin in the Arkle Trophy, while Fiddlerontheroof and The Big Breakaway placed second and third respectively behind the mighty Monkfish in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Oscar Elite, meanwhile, filled the runner-up spot in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in the Cotswolds.
Tizzard added: “Fiddlerontheroof and The Big Breakaway are both Aintree-bound, as is Eldorado Allen, who will probably step up to two and a half miles (for the Manifesto Novices’ Chase).
“I think we’re going to have to run Fiddlerontheroof and The Big Breakaway against each other again in the three-mile novice (Mildmay Novices’ Chase). It seems a shame, but they both deserve to be there and that race suits them both.
“Oscar Elite will go to Aintree as well for the three-mile novice hurdle on the Friday (Sefton). It would be nice to have a winner or two.”
Barry Connell is aiming to win the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in his first season as a trainer with Espanito Bello.
Connell’s yellow and blue silks are a familiar sight on Irish racecourses, in fact Connell used to sport them himself for a lot of years.
It was only in July he took out a licence of his own, however, and the man who has seen his colours carried to victory by the likes of Martello Tower, Shinrock Paddy and The Tullow Tank believes the sevenyear-old has all the right credentials, having looked a marginally unlucky loser in the Ten Up Novice Chase.
“He’s definitely on track for the National,” said Connell. “I think he might still have won the Ten Up but for making the mistake at the last, I thought he was just getting the better of the argument at the time.
“The question going there was stamina, but he stayed every yard of three miles in heavy ground, prior to that he’d only run over two-three. That showed that he should get the trip, though, and was the deciding factor of going for the National.
“All his runs have been on soft or heavy ground. As long as there’s no good in the ground I think he’ll be fine, yielding will be fine.”
He added: “Fairyhouse always do a terrific job with the ground for this meeting. He’s going the right way and looks to have a bright future. The novices this year look a nice bunch and he’s up there with them. A few of the horses he’s beaten before are reopposing and this has been the target all along since the last day.”
Emmet Mullins admits he may be taking a risk going back left-handed should Cape Gentleman run in the Betway Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree next week.
The Irish Cesarewitch winner had an impressive hurdling debut at Punchestown before running poorly left-handed Leopardstown.
“We are probably taking a bit of a chance,” admitted Mullins.