The Cheltenham Festival is upon us with just a little under a week until the UK’s most exciting Jump racing event begins. Right now, jockeys, horses, and stables are the stuff of tipsters and news reports, awaiting the roar for the opening Supreme Novices Hurdle that will this year have to be restricted to our sofas at home. And right now it is the Tizzard camp that is raising eyebrows after a few dismal months.
Over the winter, the Dorset based stable has been under the weather and the bookies have been writing off the chances of any runner from the Tizzard camp. By the high standards they set themselves, so far the season has been a crushing disappointment, with less than £500,000 in prize money won; this from a stable that has topped seven figures in each of the last five seasons.
That was until recently when insiders following racing at Exeter on Tuesday were able to enjoy a Tizzard double when well-backed favourites Killer Kane and Amarillo Sky showed that the stable may be coming back into form, after 2 1/2 months with just 7 winners to show for all that effort.
Trainer form is critical coming in to a meeting like the Festival, and every aspiring trainer will leave something to work on in the mid winter period in order to bring his Festival team fresh to the fray next week. Jockey Harry Cobden has suggested that the Tizzard stable stars are looking great just in time for the Cheltenham Festival.
Tizzard has LostinTranslation and Native River in next Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup. Native River of course is a previous winner of the race, and warmed up with a zestful victory in the rescheduled Cotswold Chase at Sandown in early February. However, the race has a poor record of producing Gold Cup winners, albeit no-one has told Native River that.
LostinTranslation, third last year, produced his best form of the winter in the Betfair Chase at Haydock back in November, when third to Bristol de Mai. He ran prominently for much of the race in the Denman Chase at Newbury in one of its more competitive recent renewals last month, but very possibly needed the run. At 33-1, he represents good each way value in a yard coming back to form.
This is also a great time to avail yourself of dozens of offers as one bookmaker after another entices you to spread your risk in the year's biggest betting event. If you are looking for options because you already have made your mind up on the horses you will back, then signing up to an online bookmaker will help you claim £5 in free bets. Also, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for free bets on certain Cheltenham Festival races plus there will be a flurry of enhanced odds and bonus deposit match deals giving you real money bets as well as free bets.
The Tizzard camp has two entries in the opening day's card next Tuesday. Eldorado Allen has engagements in both the Arkle and the Marsh Novices Chase. The former is a hot race, featuring Envoi Allen - under new management with Henry de Bromhead after the Elliott debacle - Shishkin and Allmankind, so I suspect he'll head for the latter race where 33-1 is an unfair assessment of his chance.
Also on Tuesday, Ofalltheginjoints is left in the National Hunt Chase, this year carrying the name of Sam Vestey, former Chairman of Cheltenham and Master of the Royal Horse, who sadly died in December, just a few months after his wife Cici. The Vestey contribution to Cheltenham is enormous, presiding over a period of great growth, including at least one grandstand build and the addition of the Centaur, as well, of course, as the addition of the fourth day and the escalation of the November and International fixtures. Let's hope his name perpetuates longer than some other giants of the Turf, who have made way for commercial sponsors.
Other horses to look out for are from Alan King’s stable here at Barbury, where a report here on the Barbury International gives you some insights for the up-and-coming Cheltenham Festival. The event starts on 16 March and runs for 4 days, and frankly, I can't wait.
The Cheltenham Festival is upon us with just a little under a week until the UK’s most exciting Jump racing event begins. Right now, jockeys, horses, and stables are the stuff of tipsters and news reports, awaiting the roar for the opening Supreme Novices Hurdle that will this year have to be restricted to our sofas at home. And right now it is the Tizzard camp that is raising eyebrows after a few dismal months.
Over the winter, the Dorset based stable has been under the weather and the bookies have been writing off the chances of any runner from the Tizzard camp. By the high standards they set themselves, so far the season has been a crushing disappointment, with less than £500,000 in prize money won; this from a stable that has topped seven figures in each of the last five seasons.
That was until recently when insiders following racing at Exeter on Tuesday were able to enjoy a Tizzard double when well-backed favourites Killer Kane and Amarillo Sky showed that the stable may be coming back into form, after 2 1/2 months with just 7 winners to show for all that effort.
Trainer form is critical coming in to a meeting like the Festival, and every aspiring trainer will leave something to work on in the mid winter period in order to bring his Festival team fresh to the fray next week. Jockey Harry Cobden has suggested that the Tizzard stable stars are looking great just in time for the Cheltenham Festival.
Tizzard has LostinTranslation and Native River in next Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup. Native River of course is a previous winner of the race, and warmed up with a zestful victory in the rescheduled Cotswold Chase at Sandown in early February. However, the race has a poor record of producing Gold Cup winners, albeit no-one has told Native River that.
LostinTranslation, third last year, produced his best form of the winter in the Betfair Chase at Haydock back in November, when third to Bristol de Mai. He ran prominently for much of the race in the Denman Chase at Newbury in one of its more competitive recent renewals last month, but very possibly needed the run. At 33-1, he represents good each way value in a yard coming back to form.
This is also a great time to avail yourself of dozens of offers as one bookmaker after another entices you to spread your risk in the year's biggest betting event. If you are looking for options because you already have made your mind up on the horses you will back, then signing up to an online bookmaker will help you claim £5 in free bets. Also, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for free bets on certain Cheltenham Festival races plus there will be a flurry of enhanced odds and bonus deposit match deals giving you real money bets as well as free bets.
The Tizzard camp has two entries in the opening day's card next Tuesday. Eldorado Allen has engagements in both the Arkle and the Marsh Novices Chase. The former is a hot race, featuring Envoi Allen - under new management with Henry de Bromhead after the Elliott debacle - Shishkin and Allmankind, so I suspect he'll head for the latter race where 33-1 is an unfair assessment of his chance.
Also on Tuesday, Ofalltheginjoints is left in the National Hunt Chase, this year carrying the name of Sam Vestey, former Chairman of Cheltenham and Master of the Royal Horse, who sadly died in December, just a few months after his wife Cici. The Vestey contribution to Cheltenham is enormous, presiding over a period of great growth, including at least one grandstand build and the addition of the Centaur, as well, of course, as the addition of the fourth day and the escalation of the November and International fixtures. Let's hope his name perpetuates longer than some other giants of the Turf, who have made way for commercial sponsors.
Other horses to look out for are from Alan King’s stable here at Barbury, where a report here on the Barbury International gives you some insights for the up-and-coming Cheltenham Festival. The event starts on 16 March and runs for 4 days, and frankly, I can't wait.
Buy your tickets now
