Cue Card and Native River in great heart as Gold Cup nears
Cue Card and Native River are reported to be thriving at Colin Tizzard's base as the Gold Cup looms at Cheltenham.
The former fell three out 12 months ago when still going well, and although he is now an 11-year-old he showed his current well-being when trotting up in the Ascot Chase last month.
Native River, meanwhile, has been one of the stories of the season to date, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup, Welsh National and Denman Chase.
Tizzard's son and assistant, Joe, said: "Both Native River and Cue Card schooled on Tuesday. I don't think I've ever seen Cue Card school so well it was like he was on springs. Native River was really good, too. I rode Native River myself this (Sunday) morning and he felt superb.
"There is not much between them. They've both had beautiful prep runs and they are going into the Gold Cup in their best form, I'm sure of it. All we need now is a bit of luck and what will be will be."
Writing in his Coral blog, Tizzard added: "I know there's this stat about how long it's been since an 11-year-old has won the Gold Cup but we look at Cue Card every morning and try to think he's an 11-year-old, and we can't see one bit of difference between now and how he was four years ago. He is every bit as enthusiastic.
"His form is every bit as good this season as it has been in previous seasons. Probably his best ever run was at Aintree last year. On that form you'd say he'll go very close in the Gold Cup. He doesn't show us any signs at all that he is ageing and he will bring the house down if he wins.
"I'm not biased though and I'm sitting on the fence as I don't think there's a great deal between Native River and Cue Card. If they jump the last upsides that would be fantastic and I'll just be shouting them both on. I'll take a 1-2 either way round."
Yanworth and Buveur D'Air head a 12-strong field declared for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Alan King's Yanworth heads the betting having landed the Coral Hurdle at Ascot, the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton so far this season.
The seven-year-old is one of three runners for leading owner JP McManus along with the Nicky Henderson-trained pair of Buveur D'Air and My Tent Or Yours.
Henderson also saddles Brain Power in a bid to win the race for a record sixth time.
Ch'Tibello, Cyrus Darius, Moon Racer, Sceau Royal and The New One complete the home team.
The Irish challenge is headed by Henry de Bromhead's Irish Champion Hurdle winner Petit Mouchoir.
Willie Mullins, who has saddled four of the last six winners of the two-mile showpiece, relies on Footpad and Wicklow Brave, with Vroum Vroum Mag instead declared for the Mares' Hurdle later in the day.
Neon Wolf will run in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, trainer Harry Fry confirmed.
The son of Vinnie Roe has been hugely impressive on his three starts to date under Rules, completing his hat-trick with a stunning display in a Supreme Trial at Haydock in January.
Connections left the door open for a crack at the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Tuesday, but with the ground drying out, he will instead step up in trip the following afternoon.
Fry told Press Association Sport: "He'll run in the Neptune, all being well.
"We said all along it would have to be slow ground for him to run in the Supreme and we've got drying ground.
"He's in good form and we're looking forward to it."
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The Seaborough handler also revealed his unbeaten chaser American would miss the Festival due to unsuitable ground.
"It's just dried out too much for him. He'll have an entry in a novice handicap chase at Uttoxeter on Saturday," Fry added.
Certain things have over time become synonymous with the Cheltenham Festival and the sight of Rich Ricci's pink-and-green spotted silks being walked back into the hallowed winner's enclosure has developed into one of them.
After enjoying five winners at the meeting 12 months ago, led by the Champion Hurdle success of Annie Power, the powerhouse owner will be hoping more big-race glory heads his way, with his team once again brimming full of star quality.
Though Ricci can look forward to another profitable four days at Prestbury Park, this season has proven to be a test of his character, having suffered the tragic loss of triple Festival winner Vautour, along with seeing Annie Power, Faugheen and Min all ruled out of his and trainer Willie Mullins' team through injury setbacks.
He said: "I'm just looking forward to getting them there. It's been such a diabolical year. I'm not sure how else to describe it.
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"You only see the superstars and the names, but there have been plenty of others who have lots of potential that have been out for one reason or another this year. It's been a very difficult time for the yard.
"Vautour clearly was the biggest blow, as Faugheen will be back and Annie Power could come back. I think the Vautour one was just brutal. I really felt for Willie.
"That is a hard phone call to make with really no explanation but just a freak accident. It was a big blow to the yard at the time as well.
"That still pains me and I still feel that, as he came alive at Cheltenham. It was his racecourse. That is kind of lurking in the background, so I will be kind of glad that we can get past this Cheltenham and move on from that."
But Ricci still has arguably his most valuable asset and biggest name of them all, with Douvan long odds-on to land the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday.
Having sauntered to victories in the Supreme in 2015 and in last year's Arkle, the seven-year-old looks an almost cast-iron certainty to become just one of an elite bunch of horses to strike at three successive Festivals and deliver both Ricci and Mullins their first win in the two-mile championship.
Ricci said: "Douvan certainly has to be the one to look forward to.
"I worry slightly, as to me in looking to my eye, Douvan doesn't always necessarily run his best race at Cheltenham but he is going there in great form and I'm hoping he can put up something pretty special.
"I think the better the horses in there, the better Douvan will run. I'd like to see something get him off the bridle at home or on a racecourse to see what he is really made of. I want to see it as much as anybody. If we can't see it this year hopefully we can see it next year.
"We can't be cocky, either, he has got to get round and get over all those fences. We've seen what can happen to the very best with Cue Card falling last year when having a very good chance."
For much of the season the betting for the Cheltenham Gold Cup has been dominated by horses from the yard of trainer Colin Tizzard, and despite the absence of Thistlecrack the Milborne Port handler still has the services of Native River and Cue Card to call upon.
Despite the market suggesting the Grade One prize will head back to Dorset, Ricci remains optimistic Djakadam can go one place better than his previous two outings in the three-and-a-quarter-mile test.
He said: "I liked Djakadam even before Thistlecrack went out. I think that last year was not the ideal prep, as you will recall. He fell and cut himself quite badly in the BetBright Chase at Cheltenham.
"It was hard to get work into him and he ended up working twice a day and it was kind of a rush.
"He still ran a big race, but to my eye he wasn't as impressive as the year before, when he was closing all the way to line on Coneygree.
"This year there are no complaints. The prep has been brilliant. He is in very good form and he runs great when he is fresh.
"He has won his last two as a fresh horse. I'm as confident as you can be, I suppose. I think it's probably his best chance.
"They (Tizzard horses) have dominated things and they've been incredibly impressive. It's nice not to be in the headlines for once and to be in the background and I'm happy with that.
"He should be coming into his peak. He's certainly continuing to get stronger and I think we saw that in his first run of the season in the John Durkan. He certainly looks the part and we know he gets the trip, so you would have to fancy his chances."
Helping Ricci to achieve much of his success at the Festival has been the presence of stand-out novice hurdlers and while he admits this year is a little different in that respect, he singled out one of his younger brigade he expects to make a big impact.
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He said: "We don't have a stand-out novice. I think we have novices that can be competitive. It's not like in previous years when we've had a hot buzzy novice coming into it.
"I'd say Let's Dance would be the one. She is an outstanding mare.
"We won five races at Cheltenham last year, which was amazing. We won't do that this year. If we can nick one or two, that would be great."
Movewiththetimes became the latest Cheltenham Festival casualty after being ruled out of Tuesday's Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle through injury.
The Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old emerged as a serious contender for the Festival curtain-raiser when narrowly beaten by Ballyandy in last month's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.
He was a best priced 6-1 for the Supreme, but will not line up after suffering a setback.
Nicholls told Betfair: "Movewiththetimes was a little bit sore behind after a routine canter and it looks like he has pulled a muscle behind.
"I'm gutted that he will not be able to go to Cheltenham as he was one of my best chances of the week.
"As it doesn't look too serious we will try to have him ready for Aintree or maybe Punchestown."
Empire Of Dirt looks set to stick to the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham on Thursday despite the defection of Don Poli from the Gold Cup.
Third last year, Don Poli has picked up an injury that means he misses the big meeting and in the wake of that trainer Gordon Elliott said he would discuss running plans with Michael and Eddie O'Leary of Gigginstown House Stud.
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But speaking on At The Races, Eddie O'Leary said of the Irish Gold Cup runner-up: "I'd say we will probably go to the Ryanair with Empire Of Dirt, all going well. He has a good chance.
"He'll probably get taken off his legs for the first mile, but hopefully he'll get back into it after that."
He added of Don Poli: "He has a leg, and when you have a leg you have a leg. So we'll treat it up and hopefully have him back at some stage."
Lexus Chase winner Outlander is likely to be Gigginstown's only runner in the Gold Cup, a race they won 12 months ago with Don Cossack and in 2006 with War Of Attrition. But O'Leary is not banking on him giving the operation a third success in the blue riband.
He said: "We've won it twice, but you can safely rule that out. If I could back any I'd back Djakadam (second the last two years), I think he is the moral winner. He's fresh this year, he's matured and I think he is an outstanding bet."
The ultra-consistent Abolitionist enjoyed his day in the sun with victory in the Download The Ladbrokes Exchange App Leinster National at Naas.
Formerly trained by Shark Hanlon before joining Ellmarie Holden prior to the start of this season, the nine-year-old was narrowly beaten on his first start for new connections at Wexford before finding only Empire Of Dirt too strong in the Troytown Chase at Navan the following month.
Having enjoyed a winter break since, Abolitionist was a 12-1 shot for this three-mile contest and benefited form a fine ride by leading conditional Rachael Blackmore.
Always travelling well in the middle of the pack, the son of Flemensfirth was steadily eased towards the front end and cruised to the front rounding the home turn.
Folsom Blue emerged as a threat, but with the rail to help, Abolitionist found plenty for pressure.
Sumos Novios was third, with leading Grand National contender Ucello Conti fourth.
Blackmore said of the length and three-quarters winner: "Ellmarie and Ray Cody, her assistant, are doing an absolutely fantastic job with these horses. They are fit and healthy.
"He hasn't had a run in a while, but he was spot on for today. A lot of the credit goes to Ellmarie and Ray. They were very hopeful of a big run today, but you still have to go out and do it.
"The ground was a little bit tougher today, but he was good.
"I was maybe in front a small bit soon, but I didn't want to go taking him back as he was rolling and he was happy. You wouldn't want to be taking them back too much in that ground when they are rolling.
"If I had got beat I was definitely in front too soon!"
She added: "They've been campaigning him for the Irish Grand National. That's the plan."
Paddy Power cut Abolitionist to 16-1 from 33-1 for the Fairyhouse showpiece on April 17.
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