Tizzard hoping Eldorado Allen can step up in Betfair Chase

Joe Tizzard admits he is excited about Eldorado Allen taking his chance at Haydock Park at the weekend and he insists he will not be lacking ‘match fitness’ ahead of bidding to help him become the first person to both ride and train the winner of the Betfair Chase.

The 42-year-old will turn his attention to the gelded son of Khalkevi at the weekend, who he hopes can find another sizeable chunk of improvement and spring a surprise in the first Grade One chase of the season at the Merseyside venue.

Although Eldorado Allen has the small matter of last year’s Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, and current Betfair Chase champion, A Plus Tard to defeat, Tizzard believes Eldorado Allen could be a step ahead having already had a run this term.

Eldorado Allen found only Bravemansgame too good on his return in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last month, but Tizzard believes a repeat of that performance can see the eight year old run another big race.

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.”

The Tizzard family are no strangers to winning the race with Joe’s father Colin saddling the mighty Cue Card to glory in the race on three occasions in 2013, 2015 and 2016 along with sending out Lostintranslation to victory in the 2019 renewal.

Although on ratings Eldorado Allen has a bit to find to be placed in the same bracket as that pair ahead of their appearances in the race, Tizzard feels he is still young enough to find further improvement to ensure he is competitive.

He added: “He is about 10lb 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.”

Eldorado Allen is currently a 12-1 chance with sponsor Betfair.

Nine years might have passed since Tizzard secured his only victory in the race as a jockey aboard Cue Card in 2013, however he still has vivid memories of the occasion.

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’s appearance at the weekend will also mark the first Grade One runner Tizzard has had in his own name, however he admits it doesn’t feel like a breakthrough moment given his previous roles at Venn Farm Stables.

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.”

While his focus will be on how Eldorado Allen performs this weekend away from the racetrack Tizzard has recently become a dad for the first time following the birth of his son Thomas, who he hopes will carry on the family business one day.

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.”

Latest odds from sponsor Betfair: 2-5 A Plus Tard; 10-3 Protektorat; 8-1 Bristol de Mai; 12-1 Eldorado Allen; 20-1 Frodon