Colin Tizzard
Checking in on 2018 Gold Cup hero Native River... "He’s a Gold Cup winner. He got beat by a very good horse round Haydock first time out (Clan des Obeaux, Paul Nicholls). "Going into the King George we were a little bit concerned about his performance the year before. Five out, you were expecting him to pull up, but he stayed on really strong, and towards the line. You’d say if there was another two furlongs, he’d be right up there with them. "This is right up his street, isn't it? "We don't want fast ground at Cheltenham, though."
An update on Thistlecrack... "He is a Stayers' Hurdle winner. In the King George, we thought coming off the bend we were going to win, there was only one other horse travelling and that was Clan des Obeaux. "He’s in good form, they’ll all play their game (in the Gold Cup). "He is what he is, he's a big powerful boy, and the engine is still there."
News on Elegant Escape... "Elegant Escape is a massive stayer, stamina does kick in the Gold Cup. "He's very similar to Native River, when we were trying to map out his novice season and this campaign. We thought he was very much like Native River as a hurdler, and he's probably achieved equally as much, there's not much in them, and Native River finished third in his first Gold Cup." "He's a stayer, in theory he could be an improver, and he looks brilliant at the moment."
On Elixir de Nutz's chance in the Supreme... "His form stands up to anybody’s from the race. He pulls quite hard, goes well from the front, but I don’t think we’ve got a jockey booked yet. "We took Kilbricken Storm, Native River and Master Debonair to Wincanton, and the jockey couldn’t hold on to Elixir de Nutz, he went about five clear. He's a strong front runner."
Plans for Slate House... "He’ll probably end up at Aintree. He needs a good run anyway as he broke a bone in the back of his knee, spent most of the summer stood in his stable - that’s why he’s slower getting going now. "He may end up going to Newbury on Saturday, and we’ll see how we are."
What's next for Mister Malarky...? "He's was a nice hurdler but he's been a revelation over fences and he's definitely good enough to run in the RSA. "The times were fast (at Ascot), I thought it was good ground at Ascot, hopefully the ground won’t be as quick at Cheltenham. "He has jumped very well and he’s a thorough stayer. "People say it’s an easier race (National Hunt Chase), I don’t think it is. Some very good horses will run in the four miler, and I don’t think there’s much in it."
Discussing Vision des Flos... "He’s been a lovely horse. If he hadn’t unseated Tom Scudamore at Ffos Las on his first novice chase, I’m sure he’d be chasing now. "Yesterday we found his easiest race. Yes, it was a good performance, he travelled extremely well. He travels well enough to go for the two mile handicap, but I’m sure the Champion Hurdle will be run at a frantic pace, and we’re not afraid of running him just off the pace. "He might go for the Champion Hurdle this year."
The Russian Doyen... "The two-and-a-half-mile novice, the Close Brothers, looks the right race, but he’s also in another. "He’s won two chases this year, he’s a beautiful horse, good hurdler. He’s as good and strong as I’ve ever seen him, he’s growing still, and still on the improve. "It’s a handicap isn’t it, it’s going to be a very close handicap too, there’s only going to be 6 lb from top to bottom."
Potential Cross Country plans for Ultragold... "We’ve had a brainwave this week, we might run him in the Cross Country. It seemed a good prep race for the. He’s in the Ultima but think he’s got a better chance of winning the Cross Country. "He will be in the Topham as well, but if he gets in the National, that’s where he’ll run. "He’s so much better over the national fences, that we’ve got to have a go at it."
Nothing left to chance with Molineaux... "He got beat on Friday, I couldn’t believe it. He’s entered in two races this weekend at Newbury, he probably won’t get in at Cheltenham off 132, so we don’t want to leave it to chance. "It probably won’t hurt him, he’s that type. Sometimes, at this time of year on better ground, you can do it."
Russian Hawk... "Got beat at Ascot the other day, a fantastic horse for chasing next year. "I was thinking of running him in the Albert Bartlett but his owners are quite keen on having a go at a handicap at Sandown on the Saturday before. It depends on the ground conditions. "He wants a stamina test, two and half on good ground won’t be enough, I think he’s an out-and-out stayer. If it comes up soft or heavy he can go there. If it’s going to be good ground, I think he’s a better chance of running for a place in the Albert Bartlett. He’s on the improve."
News on Lostintranslation... "One of the favourites over two and a half mile, I keep thinking I should’ve got him in the three miler but he's so good over two and half so it's fine. "He’s just a lovely chaser, he’s got form around Cheltenham, I'm sure they’ll go the pace, and he can jump off handy. You’ve only got to look at him, we’re hoping to have him for the Gold Cup next year. "Barry Geraghty sat behind us (on Defi du Seuil at Ascot) and did us for speed after the last. That won’t happen at Cheltenham, that was a four-horse race, when at Cheltenham it will be 15-20 horse race, the pace will be twice as much, so hopefully his stamina will kick in
Fox Norton's target... "He’s gone under the radar a little bit, I thought he’d run a lovely race at Ascot the other day, but he jumped a bit flat. "He has a bit of back trouble, so sometimes he has to have a little bit of medication. He’ll go for the Ryanair. "I think he’s more of a two and a half miler, but the Champion Chase is all about pace and stamina, and his stamina will kick in on the end in that race. Groundwise, he’s better on softer ground, and there’s plenty of time for the weather to change, which would suit everybody."
Champion Bumper tilt with Master Debonair... "He's won and been second at Cheltenham this year in bumpers and we've purposely held him back. "He was very good in the gallop at Wincanton and his dam came second to Annie Power in the Mares’ race at Cheltenham so he's well bred. "Next year we’ll aim at the Supreme Novices Hurdle, that’s what we think of him."
Stayers for West Approach... "He's been second to Paisley Park twice, he frightens himself at fences, not that he’s scared of them, he just jumps too high sometimes. "He’s got plenty of pace for a three-miler, if we could cover him up and save a bit for later on then we’d have a chance."
An update on Cyrus Darius... "He’s disappointed since we had him, he’s in still because he's entered. He’s a big strong horse, then he went lean, and we found he had ulcers. "He’s entered this weekend, and we’ll see where we are. He’s got good form, he’s a good horse, and he’s getting older, but we will have a go at the Festivals just to see if we can get him right again."
The latest on Kilbricken Storm... He's a bit of a forgotten horse, but he was very good in the gallops at Wincanton against Native River, Elixir de Nutz and Master Debonair. For a three-miler, he was right up alongside them. "He was alright first time out, then next time out he’s done the splits at the last. Since he started back, he’s been straightforward, probably had six weeks off. "People can crab his performance at Cheltenham, but he won it quite easily, the Albert Bartlett last year. He was good at Wincanton in the gallops, he was the one you’d take out of that."