Trainer Colin Tizzard is very much considering sending his unbeaten novice hurdler The big Breakaway straight to the Cheltenham festival in March without another run after the youngster suffered a slight training setback.
The Dorset handler had planned to give his five year old one final run before their final preparations before the festival in March and they had planned to go to Prestbury Park on Trials Day.
However, after picking up a knock on one of his joints, Tizzard thought against the idea and sent his other horse Harry Senior into the Ballymore Novices Hurdle where he went on to land the spoils.
The trainer is still hoping he can run The big Breakaway before March time but with less and less opportunities now before the four day meeting might just see him head straight there and Tizzard will still be happy with his chances having had plenty of experiences during his career in point to points.
(Credit At The Races) The Dorset trainer said: “He knocked his hock, and we have just been a bit careful with him.
“We will probably run him in about a fortnight’s time – and if we don’t get there he will go straight to the Festival.
“He doesn’t need to run again. He has been pointing last season, so he has experience.”
With the gelding having plenty of experience Tizzard is also looking at the other side of the coin and thinking that with him heading the festival without running since December might leave him fresher than other runners.
He added: “What we don’t want to do is leave any chance of winning in his next race – because we want our engine for the Festival completely full.
The next problem for the Tizzard team is what race they will actually enter the five year old into with Tizzard saying: “(Assistant) Joe (Tizzard) thinks he is a two and a half miler, and I think he is a three miler.”