Fiddlerontheroof a leading Ladbrokes Trophy player says bullish Tizzard

Joe Tizzard is convinced the yard's leading novices from last season Fiddlerontheroof and The Big Breakaway are major contenders for the Ladbrokes Trophy – with the assistant trainer adamant the former can go right to the top over fences.

Team Tizzard, who have landed the Newbury showpiece twice in the last five years with subsequent Gold Cup winner Native River in 2016 and Sizing Tennessee two years later, could saddle a four-strong team rounded out by Mister Malarky and Copperhead on November 27.

But it is last season's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase second Fiddlerontheroof, a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler, who leads the challenge having made the perfect start to his season when comfortably landing the Listed Colin Parker Chase at Carlisle on Sunday.

He tops the betting at 7-1 in places for the prestigious handicap chase, although the sponsors quote him at 10-1 behind 7-1 market leader Enrilo, and Tizzard is optimistic the race is the perfect stepping stone for his star to make his way to the top.

He said: "Fiddlerontheroof is absolutely fine from his Carlisle win, which we were chuffed with. It looks the obvious race for him to go to next off of his mark. I think it suits second-season novice chasers down to a tee.

"You could say he had been overlooked because he didn't do much winning last season, but he took on the best and rarely disappointed. It was great to see how he stuck on at Carlisle, we still hold him in high regard and think he's one of our best horses for this season."

The Big Breakaway: will appear at Sandown before running in the Ladbrokes TrophyCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Big Breakaway won just once over fences last season but was placed in two Grade 1s, including when an 11-length third behind his stablemate at the Cheltenham Festival.

The six-year-old took a heavy fall when looking likely to finish ahead of Charlie Hall Chase winner Fusil Raffles on his seasonal comeback at Newton Abbot last month, and will head to Sandown on Sunday for a confidence-booster in the Listed Future Stars Chase before his Newbury assignment.

"He's absolutely fine from his fall and schooled really well on Wednesday morning," Tizzard added. "We're going to take him to Sandown on Sunday as it will be good to get another racecourse run into him beforehand. It's not been an ideal preparation for him.

"With his mark from the handicapper he ran as well as we expected and he would have stayed on for second and beaten the Charlie Hall winner, which is strong form."

The Tizzards: 'The owners think he'd win a Betfair Chase – I hope he becomes a Gold Cup horse'

The Tizzard team have enjoyed a fine recent fine run of form following a challenging season and Tizzard added: "The Ladbrokes Trophy is absolutely an event we target, it's such a prestigious race and we want to always be a part of it. Everything is going spot on at the moment and all the horses are running as they should."

3.00 Newbury: Ladbrokes Trophy entries and betting

Ladbrokes Trophy, November 27

Ladbrokes: 7 Enrilo, 8 Eklat De Rire, Ontheropes, 10 Fiddlerontheroof, Kitty's Light, Next Destination, 12 Cloth Cap, Silver Hallmark, 14 Lieutenant Rocco, Remastered, 16 bar.

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