cue card

Nothing from Tizzard thus far but he said after the Arkle that he was going up in trip to avoid the monster. He already has form over 2 and a half miles and like you, I believe he will progress this season.....despite the 5lb penalty that is JT!

Last week's Post suggested King George as the main target. I didn't realise John Terry had taken up race riding.

jumps really well, could be nice over longer trips

Came across this snippet below a couple days ago, which I was happy to read as I stuck a few pennies on him for the gold cup at around 220/1 in the summer. A bit speculative but he wouldn't be the first Arkle runner up to win the Gold Cup.



Festival favourite to make his debut over three miles



CUE Card will be entering new territory this season.

Trainer Colin Tizzard plans to run his 2010 Cheltenham Festival winner over three miles: "If he stays that trip – and I am confident he will – it could open up doors for the big staying chases.

"We have got to see if he is good enough to run in the Gold Cup. No-one knows how good Cue Card is.

"You must stay to win a Champion Bumper like he did and most of the horses who win that end up staying three miles. Things may change though during the season but we'll look at that distance in November and then see where we go from there."

Possible target for the six-year-old is the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase over three miles and a furlong at Wetherby on November 3 but plans will become clearer when Tizzard sits down with owners Bob and Jean Bishop this week following Owners' Day at his Milborne Port stable on Sunday.

If the longer distance does not suit Cue Card would return to two miles and four furlongs in conditions' races and a third option could be reverting to two miles – especially if anything goes awry with Sprinter Sacre.

"I'm not sure yet if he stays – but I do know he is a damned good two-miler. He was the only horse to give Sprinter Sacre a race last season – coming off the final bend in the Arkle I thought we had half a chance against him and there were decent horses like Al Ferof and Menorah behind us.

"Our lad has got loads of pace and although he pulled hard last season he doesn't now – he settles and travels. He's back in, cantering and I'm happy with him."

For a horse not bred for the National Hunt game Third Intention is a revelation. Tizzard said of the five-year-old: "He is the best jumper of a hurdle we have ever had."

Hurdling, however, is behind him as he is going over fences this season with his trainer enthusing: "He is highly rated and I can't wait to run him over fences – this is my Arkle horse.

"He ran some beautiful races over hurdles last season off top weight only for those off 10st to nip the races off him. Now it will be lovely to run him off level weights – though he isn't a chasing type. His mum and dad didn't jump but that doesn't mean he can't.

"He's always jumped everything from day one with us and he loves it – he quickens up like a JA pony."

Golden Chieftain should benefit from the wind operation he had during the summer. "Although he won over fences at Uttoxeter and Wincanton he had disappointed us but something was definitely stopping him at the end of his races.

"To start with his jumping was iffy but he is going to be in the top league over three miles."

On Cue Card's return after the summer, jockey Joe Tizzard said: "He is good, he seems really well. We had a little niggly problem with him after Cheltenham last year which stopped him going to Aintree or Punchestown but he has summered well.

"He feels in cracking form at the moment but he often does. Whatever he does he has not got it easy. He ran a blinder to be beaten by Sprinter Sacre at Cheltenham last time but wherever we go he is in against the big boys now because he is too highly rated to run in handicaps so he is in the deep end but he is good enough to hold his own.

"He has been to the Festival three times for us now. He has won, he has been fourth and second, so if he goes and gets places at the festival again it will be good but he will be aimed at all the top races and he is very exciting still."

OK Stront...I was trying to be kind.

The horse is very talented and might stay 3 miles round Kempton. Gold Cup trip....he doesn't race like an out and out stayer.

i don't think he'll stay tbh,The day he was reeled in by Bobs Worth at Newbury is enough to suggest he wont be staying 3 miles plus

I think this horse will stay but i could not back him to find out in what are likely to be bottomless conditions and a grueler at Haydock.

I doubt they all will go for for it Resnar. Trainers like to avoid that except in the very top races. Don't forget Imperial Commander is expected to return there also.

I hope you're right - I like to see the top horses race each other, and it is a Grade 1. As I've mentioned in another thread, I think Grands Crus will go for the Paddy Power instead (or as well?). Has PFN got one for the Betfair this year?

I still have a feeling Al Ferof could be a star and interested in him over longer distance.

Betfair Chase keeps getting better and better...last year was the best day I've ever had on a racecourse

I can see Weird Al running there FTO. Best fresh, he ran a good race last yr + they may think a tilt FTO at Haydock could be ideal.

For non stop's marvellous performance today must be a huge boost for Cue Card. There must be a grade one win within its capabilities this year.

According to last interview it misses Paddy Power to instead be aimed at the Haldon Chase at Exeter, where it is likely to face Captain Chris and Menorah, among others.

For me he's the second best 2m chaser in training ,better than finians rainbow and sizing europe. In top end 2 1/2m races his
stamina may be lacking. I'd be running him in any top 2m chase that SS is unlikely to run in and consider making trips to Ireland.
Some of these chasers change a lot from one season to the next and I'd like to see him run at least once before considering backing
him.

It's remarkable to conclude that he's the second best 2 m chaser in training after only one run at the trip (when SE and FR are very good horses). I think he's likely to go over 2 1/2-3 m this season.

As others have said he could be very well handicapped - he has some very useful looking form with Sprinter Sacre, For Non Stop and Bobs Worth.

SS around, and it's, we think he could be a king george horse....he wouldn't be a king george horse without SS would he?.....he'd be a queen mother horse all day long.

Maybe i should have said-most of his form is at 2 and half,cos i can see some thinking the Arkle was his best performance,seeing as SS is the new Pegasus!!

I tried my best to deny SS all last season too, but at the end of the day you have to face it i'm afraid!

I think he'd be a really good 2 miler and that would be his best trip, he's too exuberant and does too much to be effective at 3 miles for me, they are trying to turn him into a king george horse because of SS being in the way of the 2 mile division, every time tizzard talks about CC he references SS being in the way at two.