Trainer Joe Tizzard is excited to see Eldorado Allen take on the Betfair Chase challenge at Haydock Park on Saturday.
The 42-year-old handler, who officially took over the training licence from his father Colin at the start of the season, thinks his eight-year-old grey is fit and ready to take on chiefly last year's winner and Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard in Saturday's Grade One feature on Merseyside..
The gelded son of Khalkevi is among the five entries for this weekend's big race at Haydock and is currently a best-priced 14-1 with Paddy Power and bet365 behind Ladbrokes' 4-9 favourite A Plus Tard.
Unlike some of his rivals on Saturday, Eldorado Allen – along with Paul Nicholls' recent Wincanton winner Frodon – has already had a run this season, so should have a slight advantage.
Eldorado Allen was three-and-a-half lengths behind Nicholls' impressive winner Bravemansgame on his seasonal return in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last month. And Tizzard was pleased with that effort and thinks if he runs to the same level the eight-year-old could give his rivals a fright.
A Plus Tard ready to defend Betfair Chase crown
Tizzard said: “I was delighted with his run in the Charlie Hall as for the first time he galloped through the line. We were just guessing a bit with that sort of trip before. He ran well in the Denman and that was on goodish ground and that was a different sort of race. I was glad he galloped through the line as it proved to me that he gets the trip nicely.
“On ratings we are a bit behind the likes of A Plus Tard and Protektorat, but for most of them it is their first runs of the season. He seems to have come out of his race at Wetherby really well and there is some good prize money to pick up with him.
“If he can run well, and if there are chinks in any of the others, he could end up picking up some good prize money. We have had a run so we won’t lack any match fitness.
“Haydock is his type of track and he seems to run well on those flat tracks. For a lot of these horses it is their first target with the view to a King George or Gold Cup later on so they are not fully gunned where as we go in there with a run under our belt.”
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The Tizzard family have won the Betfair Chase in the past with Joe’s father Colin saddling Cheltenham Festival scorer Cue Card to win the extended 3m1f contest three times in 2013, 2015 and 2016 while also sending out Lostintranslation to land victory three years ago.
Although Eldorado Allen has not had the same level of form of those two and some of his rivals on Saturday, Tizzard thinks he is still improving and at just eight believes his best days may be ahead of him.
He added: “He is about 10lbs behind them – Cue Card and Lostinstranslation – on official ratings going into this but he is a progressive horse that improved a stone last season. He has still got to improve a bit to shake them up, but now he is seeing this trip out well there is no saying that he won’t run well.
“If we run to the Wetherby form hopefully we can nick a bit of prize money. The horse has come out of his last race well and I’m excited about him taking his chance. I’d love to see him improve again and we can take him to some big days through the season as his owners Jon (Romans) and Terry (Warner) have been big supporters of the yard.
“Everybody wants to win but if you can pick up decent prize money with a horse on the way it is all good.”
When he was a jockey Tizzard partnered Cue Card to his first victory in 2013, and recalls with fondness that Grade One success. He said: “I remember that day as there was a lot of pressure on that day. Bob Bishop (owner of Cue Card) phoned up my dad at 5am in the morning asking if we were doing the right thing stepping him up to three miles.
“My old man rung me straight after and said is that horse alright, are we doing the right thing and I need you to be positive on this horse. He then went and won and it brought my old man to tears.
“We had good horses but Cue Card stepping up into that class there was pressure on it. Kim (Gingell, sister) had rung him in floods of tears excited.
“We all knew what was going on behind the scenes as Bob was getting nervous and putting pressure on everybody but that is training horses for you. I was perhaps a bit oblivious at the time what the pressure of training horses is like, but I get it a lot more now.”
Eldorado Allen will be the first Grade One runner for Tizzard since taking over at Venn Farm Stables and he added: “Of course it is a milestone to have my first Grade One runner but these horses were all here last season. I’ve been involved with these horses for a long time and it is probably not fair on other young trainers saying rookie trainer Joe Tizzard is having his first season as I’ve been involved in the Grade One horses all the way through with dad.
“This horse was winning the Haldon Gold Cup and Denman Chase in dad’s name but I was pretty much doing most of the plans with him last season. It is nice for me it is in my own name but the horse has come up through the change in regime.”
The Tizzard stables in Dorset are a real family business and Joe recently became a father for the first time with the birth of his son Thomas. And he is hoping that one day his son may carry on the family business. He added: “There is no doubt it is a lovely experience being a dad and I don’t mind admitting. I’m chuffed to bits becoming a dad. I’ve been changing nappies and that hasn’t been a problem, while we have only had the odd nightly wake up but it hasn’t been too bad. He is just starting to smile and he is starting to become a little human. He grows and changes each day. He has settled in well. He is a lovely little chap and he came to Cheltenham on Friday. Rachel is really happy and it is lovely to have a little family. Hopefully he will carry on the business when he is older.”
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The seven-race card at Haydock Park on Saturday sees the action start at 10.10am with the opening contest, the Betfair Weighed In Podcast Newton Novices’ Hurdle Races due off at 12.10pm – although there is a five-furlong Betfair’s The Race To The World Cup Stakes at 11.30am. The finale, the The Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Steeple Chase, is due off at 3.15pm. Gates open at 10am and tickets are priced from £15 for adults, if booked in advance. For more information and to buy tickets go online at https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/events-tickets/betfair-chase/
Entries for the Betfair Chase (Grade One) 3m1f125y, Haydock Park Racecourse, Saturday, November 19 2022
1 A Plus Tard (FR) 8-11-10 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead (IRE)
2 Bristol de Mai (FR) 11-11-10 Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede Nigel Twiston-Davies
3 Eldorado Allen (FR) 8-11-10 J P Romans & Terry Warner Joe Tizzard
4 Frodon (FR) 10-11-10 Mr PJ Vogt Paul Nicholls
5 Protektorat (FR) 7-11-10 Sir A Ferguson G Mason J Hales & L Hales Dan Skelton
5 entries (1 Irish-trained)
