Talking Horses: hurdles the only way to Festival for injured Thistlecrack

The bruised foot which caused Thistlecrack to miss the King George VI Chase is still troubling him three weeks later, Colin Tizzard said on Tuesday. Connections have decided not to give him an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and he will race over hurdles if he turns up at Cheltenham for the March Festival.

“He’s still not quite right,” the Dorset trainer said. “It’s the injury he had at Christmas. It’s only a small one but it’s there and things like that keep recurring with him.”

Asked about the Gold Cup, which was missing Thistlecrack’s name when the entries were published last week, Tizzard said: “If he goes anywhere, it’ll be hurdling.”

Thistlecrack could not have been fancied for the Gold Cup, bearing in mind that he was pulled up in the race last year and is now 12, two years older than any of those who are actually in the race. It is half a century since a horse as old as him won steeplechasing’s most prestigious contest.

But the setbacks he has suffered in recent years have left a frustrated feeling that he has never been able to show anything like his best form over fences at the Festival. It would have been something if he had been able to line up in good health this spring and run a respectable race, perhaps even nicking a place.

As it is, the Stayers’ Hurdle remains a possibility and he was, of course, a devastating winner of that race in 2016. Let’s hope he comes right in time to turn up and do himself justice. Only the week before the King George, Tizzard was really pleased with the horse’s work but such a game animal who keeps trying in his exercise is always at risk of doing himself a mischief.

Tuesday’s best bets

I’m feeling a bit doleful about the interesting Exeter card which has been lost to waterlogging but there is still a useful jumps meeting at Doncaster, where the ground will be better than it is at most other tracks. Nicky Henderson seems poised to dominate the non-handicaps with some short-priced runners but there could be value about The Boola Bee (1.05) in the opener.

Nigel Hawke’s mare has done well since a wind operation early last year, winning over fences at Warwick and Perth. She is better handicapped over hurdles, which she tries today, and not necessarily less effective, as she showed with a fine effort at Taunton in December to be beaten just a length and a half.

She just failed to get up when back over fences last time and this could be a good time to catch her. Tom Buckley, her usual rider, is back in the saddle for this conditional jockeys contest.

At the other end of the card, 9-4 is available about Theflickeringlight (3.50), one of several horses who have been doing Philip Kirby proud in recent weeks. She is two from two in her handicaps, winning both by daylight, and a 10lb rise may not stop her.

She is opposed by a dozen rivals, which prompts some caution. Evidently, someone is interested in the Alan King youngster Eyes Right, backed down to 7-2 for his handicap debut.

Possibly the pick of Chelmsford’s evening card could be the 3-1 about Lady Shanawell (5.00), from the Ben Haslam yard that continues its good run. She hasn’t had many chances on the all-weather and was a keeping-on third in September when last seen in this sphere, suggesting today’s extra distance should help. She has since run well over hurdles, including a win at Wetherby in October.

Doncaster
1.05
The Boola Bee 1.35 Craigneiche 2.10 Caribean Boy 2.40 Global Society 3.15 Stockburn 3.50 Theflickeringlight

Exeter
1.25 Kapga De Lily (nb) 2.00 Supreme Escape (nap) 2.30 Mine’s A Pint 3.05 Whitehotchillifili 3.40 Ask Me Early 4.10 Broadclyst 

Chemsford
4.30
Equipped 5.00 Lady Shanawell 5.30 Duke Debonair 6.00 Karisoke 6.30 Rebecke 7.00 Mizuki 7.30 Alvaro

source: theguardian.com