Tizzard: Reserve Tank can bounce back at Exeter with festival dream still alive

Colin Tizzard is readying dual Grade 1 winner Reserve Tank for a comeback from a winter break at Exeter on Sunday and connections are optimistic he can bounce back to his best.

Reserve Tank has won once from three starts over fences this season – he was sent off at odds-on on each outing – and he has been off since his Grade 2 second at Newbury in November.

While he has not hit the heights expected of him so far this season, just 12 months ago he had not even won over hurdles. He improved rapidly last spring, winning all four contests including strikes at Aintree and Punchestown.

Tizzard, who confirmed the six-year-old will run in Exeter's 2m3f novice chase, said: "We schooled him on Wednesday morning and he went well, so we're looking forward to going to Exeter with him. We need to get a run into him before Cheltenham and this looks the right place to go.

Reserve Tank (in front): won top-level prizes at Aintree and Punchestown last seasonCredit: Patrick McCann

"We purposely put him away this winter as he ran a bit flat and didn't look brilliant in his coat, a little like he was last year. He's a spring horse and I'd like to think he can bounce back."

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Undoubtedly the highlight of the weekend for Tizzard is the return of Native River in Saturday's Betfair Denman Chase.

The ten-year-old won back-to-back editions of the Grade 2 contest in 2017 and 2018 but with the race restaged at Ascot due to the equine flu outbreak, he missed the race last year.

He will be ridden by Jonjo O'Neill jnr who replaces the injured Richard Johnson, and Tizzard added: "Native River's in lovely form and we're looking forward to Saturday. He's done all of his work and it's the right race for him. The ground is fine and he's been great at Newbury in the past. We're excited for it."

Native River will renew his rivalry with 2018 Gold Cup runner-up Might Bite and bookmakers make him a best-priced 1-3 chance for the contest.

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