Professional approach evidence Tizzard is playing the long game

For almost 22 years Colin Tizzard has held a trainer’s licence but it is only over the past couple of seasons that his operation, based at Milborne Port in the rolling Dorset countryside, has leapt into the jump racing stratosphere.

And that is almost certainly down to a resiting of the main training establishment to the top of a hill overlooking his dairy farm, and son Joe – the former leading jump jockey – playing an ever increasing and vitally important role as assistant trainer.

Tizzard jnr spent a number of years with champion trainer Paul Nicholls and some of the successful formula employed at Ditcheat can now be seen to very good effect at Venn Farm. Add to that the obvious advantage of clean, fresh air in the stable barn perched high on the hill and it’s not hard to envisage why the team are riding the crest of a wave.