From the first homebred winner to the yard’s Cheltenham contenders

Youth and experience both won this week, sharpening expectations ahead of a Festival packed with opportunity, says Chris Wald

It was a week of extremes at Tizzard’s Yard. At one end of the spectrum, a four-year-old homebred making his racecourse debut. At the other, a 12-year-old veteran who has already earned over £200,000 in prize money.
Both won.
For Colin Tizzard, the Hereford Bumper victory of his first homebred runner felt particularly significant. The gelding – Tythingman – is part of the first crop bred by Colin and raised entirely at the yard. Colin had trained the dam, Queen of the Wind, before breeding the foal, sired by Pether’s Moon. ‘He’s been here his whole life,’ says assistant trainer Chris Wald. ‘His whole education has been here, so it was really rewarding for everyone that the first homebred runner was a winner.’
At the other end of the scale, Copperhead rolled back the years at Newbury, landing a veterans’ race on Saturday.
‘He’s 12 now,’ Chris says. ‘That was his 10th win, and he’s put more than £200,000 in prize money on the board.’
But the victory meant more than statistics. Last summer, Copperhead suffered a serious bout of colic and required surgery. For a time, his racing future – and more – was in doubt.
‘It was touch and go whether he was going to make it,’ Chris says. ‘It’s an achievement just to come back and race. The fact he’s come back and won a big race on a Saturday like that – he’s just a brilliant, brilliant horse.
‘If they don’t want to do it, they don’t tend to have long careers. He’s come through something like that and still has the enthusiasm to race at a good level. That says a lot.’
Now, though, all eyes turn to Cheltenham. Tizzard’s Yard expects to send eight or nine runners to next week’s Festival – a strong team combining established performers and progressive types stepping into the biggest week of the season…

Cheltenham Runners

Rock My Way
Tuesday – Ultima Handicap Chase (3m1f)
Second in last year’s National Hunt Chase at the Festival, Rock My Way returns to a track where he has already proved he belongs.
‘He’s got Festival form, which always helps,’ Chris says. ‘He won the Berkshire National at Ascot earlier in the season.’
He is now higher in the handicap and will carry more weight than for those victories.
‘He’s on his best form, he’s got a good each-way chance. If he can hold a position early and not get too far back, he’ll keep galloping. They’ll go a good gallop and he’ll be staying on at the end.’

Alexei
Tuesday – Unibet Champion Hurdle (2m½f )
The yard’s headline act of the week: Alexei lines up in one of the Festival’s championship races after a breakthrough season.
‘It’s really exciting just to have a runner in the Champion Hurdle,’ Chris says. ‘I’m pretty sure Colin never had one, and it’s definitely Joe’s first.’
He arrives in form, having won the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November and followed up in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
‘He’s coming into it in great form. It’s a tough race – there are some proper horses in it – but we think he’ll run a big race and hopefully give us something to shout about.’

First Confession
Tuesday – National Hunt Chase (3m6f)
A stamina test over nearly four miles for novice chasers. ‘He’s never run over three miles for us, so the trip is a question mark,’ Chris admits. ‘But we’ve always thought he’s a horse with loads of stamina.’
He heads to Cheltenham off the back of an impressive novice chase win at Carlisle.
‘A lot of these horses won’t have run over this distance either. If he gets into a good rhythm with his jumping, he’ll run a big race.’

Tythingman
Wednesday – Champion Bumper (2m½f)
The Hereford winner could take his chance in the Festival bumper.
‘It might be a bit ambitious,’ Chris says. ‘But you only get one go at these things … I guess we’ll find out how good he is.’
It’s a huge step up from Hereford – but experience alone could prove invaluable for the yard’s first homebred.

Western Knight
Thursday – Jack Richards Novices’ Chase (2m4f)
A progressive novice who has won at Haydock and Doncaster and finished second in a Grade Two at Ascot: ‘He travels and jumps really well,’ Chris says. ‘This is a step up again, but he’s got a solid chance.’

Sunset Marquesa
Thursday – Mares’ Hurdle (2m4½f)
A consistent mare stepping into Grade One company: ‘She’s had a good season and won nicely at Sandown,’ Chris says. ‘This is her first time in a Grade One against the best mares in Britain and Ireland. It’s a big ask, but we really like her and hopefully she can be competitive.’

JPR One
Thursday – Ryanair Chase (2m4½f)
A high-class performer who showed improved form when he stepped up at Musselburgh to win the Scottish Champion Chase.
‘We think he’s better suited by two and a half miles now,’ Chris says. ‘If we get a bit of a dry week and the ground dries out, that will help him. If everything falls right, he can run very well.’

Ambion View
Thursday – Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (3m)
A lightweight outsider – if he makes the cut.
‘He’s towards the bottom of the handicap and it depends how many get in,’ Chris says. ‘If he gets in, he’ll have a very light weight and could run well. But he might just miss out.’

Kripticjim
Friday – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m)
Perhaps the yard’s strongest novice hope. Winner of his last three races, including a Grade Two at Cheltenham in January, he steps up in trip.
‘He’s a big chasing type who should be suited by three miles,’ Chris says. ‘If the ground dries out a bit, he’d have a really solid each-way chance. He’s been great for us all season. He also holds an entry in the shorter Turners Novices’ Hurdle, and the ground will likely dictate the decision.’

The yard heads to Cheltenham with depth, realism and quiet confidence: ‘It’s exciting just to be going there with this many runners,’ Chris says.
In a week where fine margins decide everything, that measured confidence may count for plenty.