The likeable Joe Tizzard was a talented jockey and he is proving equally adept as a trainer. His father, Colin Tizzard, retired at the end of last season after a hugely successful training career so this is Tizzard Jnr’s first season with only his name on the licence.
Tizzard has already trained 32 winners this season, with an admirable 17 per cent first-past-the-post strike rate. However, he would love a big-race winner over the Christmas period to boost his CV and he has a couple of good chances of doing just that.
ELDORADO ALLEN is a relatively lightly-raced eight-year-old gelding who has run some big races over the past two seasons, including winning the Grade 2 Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury in February.
He’s been second twice this season and he may not be good enough to land the Grade 1 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
However, I think the race will probably cut up to seven or fewer runners and so I am keen to back a horse at decent odds each way now while there are still three places on offer from the bookies.
Unlike many of the other entries for the race, Eldorado Allen will line up in the contest bar a late setback and he handles all ground conditions from ‘good’ to ‘heavy’.
This makes the 20-1 each way three places on offer with Bet365, William Hill and others good value, so take it now.
Paul Nicholls has three live chances in the race with Bravemansgame, Hitman and Frodon. But I would be surprised if both of Venetia Williams’s entries, L’Homme Presse and Royal Pagaille, take their chances in the contest which has a first prize of more than £140,000.
The race that Joe Tizzard would most like to win at some point though is the Coral Welsh Grand National. This marathon contest at Chepstow on 27 December is run in memory of his sister, Kim Gingell, who died from cancer in May 2020, aged just 43.
I have already put up The Big Dog each way for the race at 12-1 in last week’s column and that price has long gone.
However, I am going to go in double-handed in the race by backing THE BIG BREAKAWAY too at 20-1 each way. Take that price with Paddy Power or Betfair fixed odds as they are both offering five places on the race compared with the four places offered by most of their rivals.
Tizzard’s seven-year-old gelding was a talented novice chaser but his form fell away last season. However, his handler put those poor runs down to sore shins and he is convinced he has the horse back to somewhere near his best.
The Big Breakaway’s seasonal debut at Haydock last month, when he was beaten in a photo finish, was certainly full of promise and he has winning course form at Chepstow as a novice hurdler.
Expect the tears to flow in the winners’ enclosure if the Tizzard family lands the Chepstow marathon for the third time. Colin Tizzard’s two Welsh Grand National winners were Native River in 2016 and Elegant Escape two years later.
Pending bets:
2 points win Annsam at 8-1 for the Howden Silver Cup.
1 point each way Eldorado Allen at 20-1 for the King George VI Chase, paying 1/5 odds, 3 places.
1 point each way The Big Breakaway at 20-1 for the Welsh Grand National at 20-1, paying 1/5 odds, five place.
1 point each way The Big Dog for the Welsh Grand National at 12-1, paying ¼ four places.
Settled:
1 point each way Hill Sixteen in the Becher Chase at 11-1, paying 1/5 odds, six places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
2022-3 jumps season, running total – 2 points.
My gambling record for the seven years: I have made a profit in 13 of the past 14 seasons to recommended bets. To a one-point level stake over this period, the profit of has been just over 469 points. All bets are either one-point each way or two-points win (a ‘point’ is your chosen regular stake).
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