Tizzard turns to familiar launchpad for JLT favourite Reserve Tank's chase debut

Colin Tizzard will use a tried-and-trusted route to launch the chasing career of Reserve Tank, a dual-Grade 1 winner over hurdles last term who is set to be among the headline names in action as the jumps season clicks into gear at Chepstow this weekend.

Owned by The Reserve Tankers, the five-year-old emerged a horse going places in the spring, winning the Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree's Grand National meeting before following up in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown festival.

151 - Reserve Tank's Racing Post Rating over hurdles

He is the general 12-1 market leader for the JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and set to appear in Saturday's 2m3½f Listed novice chase – an event former Tizzard stars Cue Card and Finian's Oscar won on their debuts over fences.

The yard has also used Chepstow as a novice chase springboard for Native River, who was beaten in Saturday's race, Thistlecrack and Elegant Escape, subsequent winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, King George VI Chase and Welsh Grand National.

Reserve Tank and Robbie Power winning at the Punchestown festival in the springCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"We've had this race in mind since he came in and he's had two or three schooling sessions and been very good," said the trainer.

"The ground will be lovely and the trip is right. He travelled supremely well at Punchestown and you wouldn't be afraid of coming back in trip, but for the moment two and a half miles is ideal.

"I don't know how good he'll be over fences, but he's done nothing wrong on his last two starts – in Grade 1 races – and was mightily impressive, so he's a very good horse.

"We've started our best ones there. I'm not saying we're doing this because of that reason, but it didn't hurt Cue Card, Native River or Thistlecrack. It seems a nice race for Reserve Tank."

The Dorset-based Tizzard confirmed Robbie Power would travel from Ireland to ride Reserve Tank.

Colin Tizzard: top trainer will be well represented at Chepstow on Friday and SaturdayCredit: Getty Images

He added: "Last season was our first with him and he went from what I thought would be a handicapper to a dual Grade 1 winner. He progressed with racing and works beautifully and schools well, so we've decided to get on with chasing because we think it's the best route for him.

"If he stayed hurdling and went handicapping he'd be in some of the toughest race of the year, while even if he improved enough to be a Champion Hurdle or Stayers' Hurdle horse it is going to be massively difficult, so we think chasing is the easier option.

"Robbie will be over for half a dozen and came over last week to school all the ones he'll be riding, including Reserve Tank."

Tizzard has a whopping 18 entries at the two-day meeting and Coral have shortened Fiddlerontheroof to 5-1 (from 8) for Friday's Unibet Persian War Novices' Hurdle, while stablemate Beaufort West is 8-1 (from 10) with the firm for the Cotswold Stone Supplies Ltd Silver Trophy on Saturday.

However, when asked what else he was looking forward to running, Tizzard replied: "I think Highest Sun should be hard to beat in the handicap hurdle on Saturday."

Chepstow choice for three top Tizzard stars

Here are three other stable stars who Colin Tizzard has started over fences in Saturday's novice chase at Chepstow . . .

Cue Card
Best hurdling Racing Post Rating 152
The popular Cue Card never won at the highest level over hurdles, but posted some solid efforts including fourth in a red-hot Supreme in 2011. He won on his chase debut at Chepstow on the way to scaling greater heights over fences, winning eight Grade 1s including the King George, a Ryanair and three Betfair Chases.

Cue Card: three-time Betfair Chase hero started out over fences at ChepstowCredit: Edward Whitaker

Native River
Best hurdling Racing Post Rating 151
A Listed novice hurdler, Garth and Anne Broom's chestnut was always going to make a better chaser and progressed well as a novice after finishing third at Chepstow – a campaign that culminated with victory in the Mildmay Novices' Chase. He then won the Hennessy and Welsh National the following season before denying Might Bite in that epic Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2018.

Finian's Oscar
Best hurdling Racing Post Rating 155
Thought to be the second coming as a youngster, the gelding's success in the Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree meant he ended 2016-17 among the best in the division and he won his first two over fences before going off the boil. Coaxed back to win Aintree's Manifesto in 2018, he died that summer from colic.

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