Tizzard: Thistlecrack can improve ‘massively’ in King George

Colin Tizzard believes he can get Thistlecrack back to his best in time for the 32Red King George Chase at Kempton on December 26.

A first start in more than ten months at Newbury on Friday ended in disappointment when last year’s King George winner finished fifth behind Beer Goggles in the Long Distance Hurdle.

Tizzard, speaking at Newbury on Saturday, admitted the nine-year-old, who faded badly after travelling strongly until the closing stages of the race, had not been fit as he had thought.

He said: “He's fine. I've thought about it and after he tore his tendon he had two months in his box, four out in the field, came back in and had two months walking and cantered for a month and galloped for a month.

"It was excusable he blew up and right to two out he was as good as anything – you thought he'd win and his class would take him through.

“We were talking a good story and on reflection we were probably taking him up too much. But up to the second-last it had sounded absolutely right.”

Tizzard has 24 days from Thistlecrack’s Newbury comeback to get him right ready for the King George, for which he was on Saturday was a top-priced 10-1.

The trainer said: “He'll go straight to the King George. Lots of horses improve massively for one run. It’s the best part of a month and he should be fine.”