The latest bit of bad news for fans of Cue Card is that the grand old horse came off second best in a head to head with a pony on Sunday. But Colin Tizzard, his trainer, laughed off the incident as he chatted between races here, relishing the sudden return to form of his stable that brought him three winners from four runners on this card.
“Everyone talks about Cue Card’s age but I’d love to have you boys down there and have a look at him. He doesn’t look like he’s 12.
“I wanted to have a bit of fun with the horse,” said the 62-year-old, who does not ride much these days but climbed on board Cue Card and challenged his grandson to a match. “I wanted to ride him myself, just to make sure everything is right, and he is beautiful, still.
“So I rode him against my grandson’s little racing pony. I cantered alongside and thought: ‘I’ll just go by him.’ But he was riding a bloody finish and I couldn’t go past.”
In fairness to Cue Card, Tizzard pointed out that the nine-times Grade One winner was carrying about 10st more than the pony and that the race lasted for a mere 20 yards.
When Cue Card was asked to do a more orthodox bit of work on Thursday, Tizzard described his performance as brilliant. The horse is fully recovered from the bruised foot that caused him to miss a race last month and is on course for the Ascot Chase a fortnight on Saturday, probably en route to the Festival’s Ryanair Chase. “He’s been so good for a long time. I just hope he shows what I think he can do at Ascot.”
Tizzard’s haul of three winners here was one short of his total for January. It appears that some of his horses have been affected by an illness that has been through several other yards but the trainer denied having been perturbed. “You know full well, if we keep on doing what we’re doing, hold our nerve, it’ll come right.”
His return to form is timely, a week before the return to action of his Gold Cup hope, Native River, due to run at Newbury a week on Saturday. The chestnut has had three racecourse gallops in an attempt to get him ready.
Chepstow 1.10 Don’t Ask 1.40 Step Back
2.15 Rock My Style 2.45 Bredon Hill Lad 3.20 Martabot (nb)
3.55 Allchilledout 4.25 Remastered
Catterick 1.20 Shine Baby Shine 1.50 Sam’s Gunner 2.25 Where’s Tiger 2.55 Kansas City Chief 3.30 Sheneededtherun 4.05 Mount Oliver 4.35 Derrynane (nap)
Lingfield 1.30 French Mix 2.00 Captain Lars 2.35 Sociologist
3.05 Watersmeet 3.40 Reiffa 4.15 Lawless Secret
Wolverhampton 5.45 Sunshineandbubbles 6.15 Good Time Ahead 6.45 Akkadian Empire 7.15 Sportswriter 7.45 Outlaw Torn
8.15 Beatbybeatbybeat 8.45 Chaucer’s Tale
