Tizzard looks to mine golden vein with novices
COLIN Tizzard has earmarked Cheltenham’s first meeting of the season as a starting point for a trio of novices with useful form.
Seven months after he won the Gold Cup with Native River, the Milborne Port trainer is hoping to strike early as racing returns to Prestbury Park on Friday and Saturday.
Tizzard has 22 entries for the meeting, including 2018 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle hero Kilbricken Storm.
There is no news yet about whether he will make his chasing debut in the Matchbook Time To Move Over Novices’ Chase on Friday, but earlier in the afternoon the yard could unleash two nice prospects in the 2.35pm.
The first contender is Lostintranslation, who finished seventh in the Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival before chasing home Black Op at Aintree’s Randox Health Grand National meeting. The six-yearold may be joined by Storm Home in the £25,000 squareintheair.com Novices’ Chase over two miles.
“Lostintranslation was a nice novice hurdler and we are looking forward to going novice chasing with him,” said Tizzard.
“We would some like good winter ground with him, so we will see how the weather is over the next few days.
“He had some very good form last season and was only narrowly beaten at Aintree.
“Storm Home is a nice horse who won two races for us last season and is quite promising.
“Novice chasing is the plan and he could start at Cheltenham on either Friday or Saturday.
“He did well over hurdles and hopefully will do even better over fences.”
Storm Home won two of his seven starts last term, capturing novices’ hurdles at Taunton and Wincanton and he was fifth on his debut over fences in May.
Storm Home and Lostintranslation are both also entered in the £25,000 ‘Move Over To Matchbook’ Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles on day two of The Showcase. Elixir De Nutz is new to Tizzard’s stable this season, after transferring from Philip Hobbs. Formerly with French trainer Guy Cherel, the fouryear-old was well-beaten behind the Nicky Hendersontrained Apple’s Shakira on Trials Day 2018, before falling at the final flight when holding every chance in a maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter back in May.
The Terry Warner-owned grey gelding is entered in the £15,000 Foundation Developments Ltd Maiden Hurdle on Friday. Tizzard said: “Elixir De Nutz joined the yard from Philip Hobbs and might have won at Uttoxeter in May if he hadn’t fallen at the last. I like him.” The going at Cheltenham is Good and the course is being selectively irrigated to maintain conditions for the weekend.