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Tizzard Hoping for Lively Start to Cheltenham’s Season at The Showcase 14/10/08

Trainer Colin Tizzard is looking forward to seeing his star chaser Joe Lively get the second season over fences off to a flying start in the £30,000 IG Index Chase (4.05pm), highlight of the first day’s racing at The Showcase on Friday, October 17.

The nine-year-old is set to make a return to The Showcase following a facile 17-length victory in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Novices’ Chase at the same Cheltenham meeting last season.

He progressed from that success to win a Grade Two novice chase at Newbury in December before returning to Prestbury Park to capture the Cheltenham Business Club Novices' Chase at The Boylesports International and he stepped up successfully to Grade One company at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Joe Lively also finished sixth behind Albertas Run in the Grade One Royal & SunAlliance Chase at The Festival in March, came fourth in an Aintree Grade Two in April and was runner-up on his latest start in the Cheltenham Collection Novices' Chase at the April meeting.

Tizzard said today: “Joe Lively is entered in the IG Index Handicap Chase and he definitely goes for the race. He seems as well as ever. He may have got tired with the amount of times he ran last season but he looks fantastic now.

“I was thrilled with his form prior to Christmas last season and he still ran well afterwards - he wasn’t beaten that far at Aintree. We’re rated 143 which I think is very fair and I am looking forward to running him on Friday.

“He’s won around there a couple of times and the good going is his type of ground.

“He was a nine-year-old novice last season so we raced him plenty of times. If he maintains a level of form in his first two runs this time then we will look after him and run him once a month instead of 10 or 12 times in a season.

“The Grand National is still on the agenda for this season. He’s going to run in some of the top-staying chases this time and we will give him this run at Cheltenham before deciding on something like the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton. We’ll take stock after that and decide whether to go for Aintree.”

Joe Lively, allocated 11st 10lb in the handicap, faces some tough opposition in the extended three-mile IG Index Chase, for which 21 horses have been entered. Last year’s winner Ardaghey could run for Nigel Twiston Davies, and the Naunton-based handler may also be represented by top-weight Fundamentalist.

The race could also see 2007 Scottish Grand National third Parson’s Legacy , trained by Philip Hobbs, make his seasonal reappearance alongside the Paul Nicholls-trained Cornish Sett, who chased home Sir Rembrandt in the Grade Three Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase at The Open last year. The lightly-raced Noir Et Vert, fourth in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at The Festival, has been entered by trainer Ferdy Murphy.

Tizzard has a possible representative in the feature race of the second day of The Showcase, the £50,000 Dick Francis “Silks” Handicap Chase (3.25pm), with progressive chaser Sou’wester among the 26 entries.

The eight-year-old racked four victories in the space of seven weeks between March and May and Tizzard is keen to see if the gelding can keep the sequence going with a step up to two and a half miles.

The Dorset-based handler explained: “Sou’wester could make the step up to two and a half miles in the Dick Francis “Silks” Handicap Chase. He’s also declared to run at Kempton on the weekend but I would prefer to take him to Cheltenham if the ground is good or softer.

“He won his last three races over two miles and I was thinking about trying to make him into a really good two miler but I’m looking to step him up a bit in distance now. He won well enough over the trip at Plumpton in December.

“We bought him out of a seller and he began last season off a mark of 79 and finished the campaign on 142. He’s a real hero who tries his hardest and will see how he goes against the big boys. He keeps winning and he’s beaten some useful types so I am hopeful that he can continue to improve.”

The third, fourth, seventh and eighth from last season’s Grade Three Racing Post Plate at The Festival, Fundamentalist, Bible Lord, Patman du Charmil and Cossack Dancer could all run, while 2004 Paddy Power Gold Cup victor Celestial Gold may also take his chance.

Nation State could return to Cheltenham, having triumphed on his latest start in the Messier-Dowty Landing Gear Novices' Limited Handicap Chase at the April meeting,. He may face the second and fifth from that race, Sir Bathwick and Gold Medallist, while Lord Ryeford, fourth in this contest last year, is another possible starter.

The Showcase gives members of the public the chance to get more involved in different aspects of racing. Prior to racing, racegoers can visit the parade ring and the weighing room and even win the chance to judge the Best Turned Out horse in a race, watch a race as an owner or make a trophy presentation. The Showcase Exhibition brings together information about breeding, owning, training, riding and caring for horses in their retirement, plus demonstrations covering aspects as diverse as how a horse is saddled and how a fence is built.

GOING
The going at Cheltenham is currently GOOD, with a GoingStick reading of 7.7. The outlook for the rest of the week is unsettled, with the chance of some rain over the next two days. The course will be watered to maintain good ground.

Meeting - The Showcase, Cheltenham Racecourse
Dates - Friday, October 17 & Saturday, October 18
First race - 2.20pm (both days)
Going - Currently good (watering to maintain)
Admission prices - Club/Tattersalls from £18. Best Mate from £9. Accompanied children under 16 admitted FREE to all enclosures. FREE car parking. Tickets available from www.cheltenham.co.uk or by calling 08445 793 003.