Trainer puzzled by show

COLIN Tizzard admits he is mystified by Alary’s disappointing run on his British debut in the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

The Dorset trainer is determined to find out why the highly-regarded French import ran way below par, eventually being pulled up before the third-last fence in the feature race won by Bristol De Mai.

“He’s eaten his food and seems fine,” said Tizzard.

“Obviously it wasn’t his running. He wouldn’t be the first horse to come over from France and run like that and he won’t be the last.

“We don’t know why but when I saw him he was fine.

“What happens in the next month, no-one knows. We’re going to keep an open mind. It’s no good me guessing.

“He did not run as well as we were expecting, that’s for sure.

“In the ring before the race he looked a beautiful, big horse and that’s what we bought. He didn’t run like that so we’ve got to find out why.”

UNBEATEN novice hurdler Airlie Beach is set to head straight to the Cheltenham Festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained mare secured her seventh successive victory with a tremendous front-running display in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in early December, providing the Supreme Horse Racing Club with its first Grade One success.

The seven-year-old has since enjoyed a mid-season break and, while she holds an entry in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on February 12, she is likely to bypass that engagement and go straight to Cheltenham.

Steve Massey, racing manager for the owners, said: “We don’t want her to have another hard race before Cheltenham, so the plan is to head straight there.”