Cue poised for racecourse gallop

Colin Tizzard plans to give Cue Card a racecourse gallop next week as part of his final preparation for Cheltenham after the Arkle Trophy hope missed his intended prep run at Newbury on Friday.

The 2010 Champion Bumper winner was pulled out of the Game Spirit Chase after he was found to be slightly lame, but he is reported back to full fitness.

“Last Monday morning he came out of his stable and was slightly lame. We worked him on Tuesday and when we trotted him on a firm surface, he was slightly nodding, so we couldn’t run him at Newbury on Friday. But by Wednesday he was fine,” said the Dorset trainer.

“We’ll probably give him a racecourse gallop early next week. He worked beautifully today and is fine. It’s no problem going straight to Cheltenham now. He’s had four runs and he’s a better horse this year.

“The opposition is starting to look quite hot with Sprinter Sacre, but I’m not worried about that. Cue Card is a very good horse in his own right. If we can get him there in the form he was in today I have no worries at all we’ll have a good race.

“We were only a length and a quarter behind Sprinter Sacre in the Supreme Novice last spring and we had an interrupted preparation. He’s a lot better horse this year – he’s bigger and stronger and jumps well – and we shall ride him quite prominently.

“It’s a championship race, so we are not going to make any big predictions, but he won the Champion Bumper,” Tizzard told At The Races.