Tag Archive for: Copperhead

‘Proper performance’ seals Rasen riches for Copperhead

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Copperhead’s renaissance continued as he did Joe Tizzard proud to land the Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Market Rasen.

The 11-year-old has been flourishing this term after a spell where he looked adrift when struggling to reach the heights of his novice years.

Tizzard considers a heavy fall in the 2020 RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival as the cause of a complete loss of confidence, and the road to restoring his faith in his own ability has been a long one.

His connections did not stop believing, however, and this season their patience has finally begun to pay off with the chestnut returning in autumn in excellent form.

The Veterans’ Series has very much been the target and the gelding won legs at Chepstow and Aintree before finishing second by narrow margins at both Sandown and Cheltenham.

Under Freddie Gingell he was widely tipped to be the horse to beat in the final at Market Rasen, which was rerouted from its usual host track of Sandown and then again from Warwick after both meetings were lost due to the weather.

A well-known field of eight assembled for the race, worth over £38,000 to the winner, and after a smooth passage throughout it was Copperhead who came to the fore in the home straight.

Sam Brown, Anthony Honeyball’s evergreen 13-year-old, threw down an admirable challenge from the last to the line but Copperhead had more to offer still and prevailed by a length and a quarter.

“I’m just absolutely chuffed,” said Tizzard.

“I was genuinely pleased to get his head back in front at Plumpton in May, and it just shows that winning again has done him the world of good.

“He’s had a fantastic autumn and I was so glad they rearranged this because it is this horse’s Gold Cup.

“He had a horrible fall in the RSA in 2020 and he just completely lost his confidence, but Alan and Gill (Pritchard, owners) stuck with him.

“He showed signs of coming back and now he is back, that was a proper performance.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him, I’ve got more out of winning this with him than I do from plenty of other races.

“I’m really proud of Eldorado Allen as well (fourth), they have been fantastic horses for the yard and this means a lot to me.”

Tizzard team vying for veterans’ victory

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Joe Tizzard has high hopes for stable stalwarts Copperhead and Eldorado Allen when they lock horns in the rearranged Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Market Rasen.

The race has been rerouted to the Lincolnshire circuit after being beaten by the weather at Sandown and Warwick, and Tizzard is grateful the race was able to be saved.

Copperhead has enjoyed a stellar season and completed a hat-trick at Aintree in October. He has just been touched off on his last two starts, only headed by a neck by Numitor at Cheltenham last month, with Eldorado Allen behind him in third.

Joe Tizzard poses with Eldorado Allen
Joe Tizzard poses with Eldorado Allen (David Davies/PA)

Tizzard’s nephew Freddie Gingell will be back on board Copperhead at Market Rasen as he steps back up in trip from an extended two and a half miles to three miles.

Tizzard said: “He jumped and travelled really well and just got done for a bit of toe again, but ran a blinder. He’s having a cracking season and he’s loving these races for older horses.

“He’s really gained all of his confidence back. It’s a bit further again back at Market Rasen and he should run his race, which means he should be thereabouts.”

Eldorado Allen has been placed on both his starts this season following wind surgery in August and will again be fitted with cheekpieces.

Tizzard added: “He ran a lovely race (at Cheltenham), he got outpaced around halfway but stayed on well so we’ll just pop the cheekpieces back on him to make him concentrate mid-race.

“I wouldn’t like to split them, there is not too much between them, they’ve both been brilliant horses and I’m really pleased they’ve rearranged this race a couple of times.

“I might let Eldorado Allen have another go over the National fences, but drop back to the Topham. They’re in these veteran races and there’s plenty of them over two and a half and three miles and there’s good money, so we’ll just sort of concentrate on them really.”

Sam Brown will attempt to defend the crown he won for Anthony Honeyball last year when it was relocated to Warwick and will be boosted by conditional Chad Bament taking 10lb off the top-weight of 12st.

Honeyball said: “His third in the Charlie Hall sort of says he is running to a mark in the 150s there and if we run him off what is effectively 143, I don’t think he will have gone downhill overnight.

“I think if Chad and him get on well and have average luck, he has to be thereabouts.”

Elsewhere on the card, Fergal O’Brien is making no secret of the regard in which he holds Dream Shadow ahead of her bid for Listed success.

A £100,000 purchase after winning an Irish point-to-point in the spring of 2023, the six-year-old finished third on her bumper debut at Uttoxeter 12 months later before returning to the Staffordshire circuit to open her account in October.

Having missed a couple of potential outings since, Dream Shadow bids to follow in the hoofprints of her esteemed stablemate Dysart Enos by landing the the Unibet Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

“She’s a lovely mare and the owners have been extremely patient because we were meant to go to Cheltenham (in November) and the ground was a bit quick, and then we were meant to go somewhere else and she didn’t scope right,” said the Ravenswell Farm handler.

“She’s a been a bit frustrating for everyone, for us and the owners, but she’s a very good mare, we love her and hopefully she can reward their patience on Friday.

“You need a decent one to win this race, we think she’s good and her form is solid because our other one that finished second to her at Uttoxeter (Strong Run) went on to finish third at Cheltenham behind another one of ours (Siog Geal) that has won a hurdle race since.”

Charisma Cat winning at Warwick
Charisma Cat winning at Warwick (David Davies/PA)

Dream Shadow is unlikely to have things all her own way, with several talented rivals lying in wait.

Alan King is represented Charisma Cat, who has impressed in winning her two starts at Southwell and Warwick, while Dan Skelton saddles both Carlisle scorer Getawhisky and Settle Down Jill, who finished fourth in Cheltenham’s Listed bumper in November on what was her rules debut.

Queenofthejukebox (Noel Williams) and Smile Back (Richard Phillips) also feature in what promises to be an informative contest.

Tizzard pair both holding claims to valuable veterans’ prize at Sandown

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Joe Tizzard appears to hold all the aces as he prepares to launch a two-pronged challenge on Sandown’s Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase with the resurgent Copperhead and stable stalwart Eldorado Allen.

The 11-year-olds have been part of the furniture at the Dorset yard and have played their part in many a good race over the years.

They now form an excellent hand for their trainer to play in this £100,000 contest, after a fine first half of the current campaign, finishing second and third respectively over what could be deemed an inadequate test of stamina at Cheltenham in December.

“I wouldn’t want to have to split them to be honest, they’ve both been excellent horses for the yard and are in wonderful form,” said Tizzard of their Sandown chances.

“I love these races and we love supporting them and on their Cheltenham runs they should have a great chance. It’s a big pot for older horses and I’m looking forward to them running.”

Eldorado Allen has placed in both starts this term, with Copperhead bagging an autumn hat-trick before hitting the crossbar the last twice.

Tizzard has been delighted to see him return to the form that once saw him a high-ranking novice chaser and is hopeful of a bold bid.

Copperhead has rolled back the years this season
Copperhead has rolled back the years this season (Nigel French/PA)

“Copperhead especially has turned a corner and is somewhere back to near his best,” continued Tizzard.

“I was really chuffed just to get him to win, to be honest, as he had been knocking on the door for the best part of 18 months and then soon as he won it just goes to show what he has always been capable of.

“He’s bloomed this autumn in these veteran races and they have suited him. He has grown in confidence and he’s ran some super races and there is no reason why he won’t run a massive race.”

Sam Brown rolled back the years to win this race for Anthony Honeyball 12 months ago when the race was redirected to Warwick and will shoulder top-weight when attempting to defend his title.

Sam Brown has been a top-class performer for Anthony Honeyball
Sam Brown has been a top-class performer for Anthony Honeyball (David Davies/PA)

However, he will have the assistance of conditional Chad Bament to remove 10lb and his trainer is using his third in the Charlie Hall earlier in the season as evidence another big display could be on the cards.

Honeyball said: “He’s been good and I’ve been really happy with him, he schooled well on Friday morning.

“Chad Bament schooled him and he had a nice canter round and a jump. I suppose with the 10lb off, if he goes and runs his race and at halfway he is lobbing along in the middle of them not under too much pressure, I think he would have to be bang there.

“His third in the Charlie Hall sort of says he is running to a mark in the 150s there and if we run him off what is effectively 143, I don’t think he will have gone down hill overnight.

“He never really got going last time in the Coral Gold Cup, but he seems to be in as good form as he was this time last year ahead of Warwick and all seems good at home. I think if Chad and him get on well and have average luck, he has to be thereabouts.

“We’ve been lucky to win the race twice now with both Sam Brown and Jepeck, so we’ve been fortunate and last time we were very lucky as Sam wasn’t quite ready for Sandown but it was abandoned and the extra week and it moving to Warwick helped us. We’re happy enough where we are with him this time though.”

Empire Steel is another to represent a yard with winning history in this contest with the Sandy Thomson team sending Seeyouatmidnight south to strike in 2021.

Henry Daly’s Fortescue was second to Copperhead at Aintree in October and is a course-and-distance scorer, while David Pipe won the inaugural running with Soll and now saddles Remastered who is an eight-time scorer and top chaser on his day, but has failed to complete the last twice.

Harry Fry’s Ask Me Early, Smarty Wild representing Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and Venetia Williams’ Chambard – a winner at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 – complete the field.

Copperhead takes Aintree gold for Tizzard

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Copperhead continues to roll back the years and brought up a hat-trick in decisive fashion in the Virgin Bet Vieux Lion Rouge Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Aintree on Sunday.

Joe Tizzard’s Grade Two-winning chaser has been in imperious form of late and followed up a win at Plumpton in May by scoring at Chepstow earlier this month.

Made an 11-5 chance to strike again on Merseyside, the opposition had no answer once Freddie Gingell guided the 10-year-old past long-time front-runner Fortescue in the home straight before galloping on to win by 14 lengths.

Tizzard, speaking from Wincanton, said: “I was saddling up and wasn’t really able to watch it, but he looks to have won really nicely and has obviously got his confidence back.

“I’m so proud of the horse – I was chuffed with him last time and he’s gone and done it again!”

Copperhead will now be pointed towards the final of the Stayers’ Veterans’ Chase Series at Sandown in January.

Tizzard continued: “We will certainly aim at the final and I’m delighted for the horse to get back to somewhere near what he was before.

Copperhead in action on Merseyside
Copperhead in action on Merseyside (Nigel French/PA)

“He took a horrible fall in the RSA (at Cheltenham in 2020) and it took him a while to get over it, but he seems to have forgotten about it now and we’re away.

“Sandown and the final is the plan. He seems to be enjoying the good ground at the moment, but he’s qualified for the final, he stays well and he used to handle soft ground so we’ll aim in that direction.”

Jennie Candlish’s Skyjack Hijack was another to bring up a three-timer when the 6-4 favourite sauntered to a 16-length win in the Barrie Wells Trust Box4Kids Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, while Philip Hobbs & Johnson White’s Imperial Saint also kept favourite-backers happy when taking the Jason Salleh Memorial Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase as the 3-1 joint market leader.

Skyjack Hijack continued to be in top form
Skyjack Hijack continued to be in top form (Nigel French/PA)

Dan Skelton’s Sunray Shadow took the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Maiden Hurdle as the 11-10 favourite, before Fergal O’Brien claimed the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Handicap Hurdle for a third-straight year with Kamsinas.

A Grade Two winner as a novice last year, he was sent off at 8-1 in the hands of Jonathan Burke and follows in the footsteps of stable star Crambo, who won this en route to Long Walk Hurdle glory 12 months ago.

Crambo’s next port of call was the Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock on Betfair Chase day and Kamsinas will now follow suit and test his credentials over three miles on November 23.

Kamsinas getting on the scoresheet (Nigel French/PA)
Kamsinas getting on the scoresheet (Nigel French/PA)

O’Brien said: “We were delighted with him and the plan all along was to come this route. We will have a look at the Haydock handicap, see what the handicapper does and see how we go.

“He won a Grade Two over two miles last year at Haydock so we’re stepping up to a trip he’s never gone before, but he was very good over two-miles-five at Kempton last year when winning with Jack Hogan on so I’m looking forward to hopefully getting to Haydock, fingers crossed.”

However, there was no joy for O’Brien in the concluding Racing TV Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race as his 5-2 favourite Siog Geal had to second for second behind Anthony Honeyball’s 100-30 chance Kapability.