Joe Tizzard has no ground concerns for number one Ladbrokes Trophy hope Fiddlerontheroof as the yard attempt to win the Newbury feature for a third time.
The former Grade One Tolworth Hurdle winner made a successful return to the track last month, taking the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle in a track record time, despite the official going being described as soft.
That was only the seven-year-old’s second victory over fences after filling the runner-up spot on four consecutive occasions last season, including in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
At a general 8/1, he leads Tizzard’s potentially three-pronged attack on next Saturday’s GBP250,000 race, with stablemates Copperhead and Mister Malarky also entered.
Tizzard, assistant trainer to father Colin, who took the contest in 2016 and 2018, told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s a huge race in the racing calendar and we’ve been lucky enough to win it twice and have had plenty of placed horses in it so we’re always going to support it.
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“Second-season novices have a good record in it and most of ours have been those horses.
“Fiddlerontheroof is probably the best we run in it and it’s exciting.
“He ran a brilliant race in the Colin Parker at Carlisle. He actually broke the track record that day so it was a cracking performance.
“He was ultra-consistent last season and taking on the best novices when our horses weren’t quite right.
“That was probably his best performance ever in the Colin Parker and the Ladbrokes had been on our mind for the second part of last season.
“That’s his target and if we think he’s progressing so off 148 is a lovely mark to be racing off.
“He’s not ground dependant. When he was a novice hurdler he was just a stronger horse so he could handle heavy ground but I think he proved last year he pretty much goes on any ground.”
Enrilo to keep it simple for team Nicholls
Five-time winner of the race – twice as a jockey and three times as a trainer – Paul Nicholls has a leading fancy with 6/1 shot Enrilo.
He joined stablemates Monmiral, Kapcorse, Clan Des Obeaux and Flash Collonges for a gallop at the Berkshire track on Tuesday.
“That was just what he needed and Harry [Cobden] said afterwards he couldn’t pull him up,” Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing. “That will just put the finishing touches to his preparation.
“The great thing is he stays and has loads of speed. You need both in the Ladbrokes Trophy. I just think he’s a horse that will suit the race and vice versa.
“We’ll just follow the leaders and keep it simple. This time of year when the ground is good there is no point being dropped in out the back.
“I think he has physically improved a lot this year and what he does next weekend will tell us if we can dream about running him in some better races or whether he is just a handicapper.
“Plenty of good horses have run in this race. You never know if they run well in this where they could end up. I’d like to think he could eventually be better.”