Tizzard: Thistlecrack 'in beautiful form' for Charlie Hall comeback

He has not run since Boxing Day and is the subject of ground worries but Thistlecrack is reported to be back to 'somewhere near' his best and bookmakers are taking no chances over his reappearance on Saturday.

Such is the ten-year-old's reputation that he is the sponsor's 7-4 favourite for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, even though it will be his first run for 312 days.

Sidelined by a stress fracture since finishing fourth in last year’s King George VI Chase at Kempton, a race he won 12 months earlier, Thistlecrack has long been pencilled in for a comeback in the Charlie Hall.

Watch Thistlecrack win the King George VI Chase in 2016

"We've done as much as we can with him at home, his schooling has been lovely in the last few weeks," trainer Colin Tizzard's son and assistant Joe said on Monday.

"Last year we were always fighting a bit of a physical battle with him but at the back end of last season he was in brilliant form and he seems in beautiful form now. Obviously he's got to go and do it on the racecourse but we think we've got him back to somewhere near that.

"We're still a bit nervous about the ground. But he's ready to have a run and this has been the plan for some time. We'll just have to discuss the ground and take a view on it as the week goes on. We've made the entry and we're hoping we'll be able to run him this weekend."

Bristol De Mai (left) and Thistlecrack (right): the pair are set to clash at Wetherby on SaturdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Tizzards have stated they would not run Thistlecrack on ground firmer than good, which was how the going was described officially on Monday – with little chance of significant rain.

"There may be a millimetre tomorrow and on Friday night we might possibly get four millimetres but that's not really enough in jumping terms to make a huge difference," said Wetherby clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson.

bet365 Charlie Hall Chase card and betting

"So we'll be watering pretty much all the way to Thursday evening, with a view to keeping good ground. We've put several inches of water on since the beginning of September and another three or four days isn't going to dramatically ease the ground, it's just going to maintain it."

Last year's Charlie Hall winner Bristol De Mai is bet365's 7-2 second favourite for the £100,000 race, which has attracted 11 entries, including three from Gordon Elliott plus Summer Cup winner Virgilio (8-1), who is set to step up in class for in-form Dan Skelton.

"He's worth a roll of the dice, especially on nice ground," said the trainer. "He'd have no hope on soft ground but he's worth a go on good.

"He's been an amazing horse for us, we're delighted to have such an animal, he's a magical beast. He tries his hardest all the time, he never has a bad year and we'd love him to do well in something like the Charlie Hall."

Bridget Andrews is set to ride Virgilio, with Harry Skelton on stablemate Too Many Diamonds in the £100,000 Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot, which drew 18 entries including 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree.

Sodexo Gold Cup card

Padded hurdles will be used for the first time at Ascot on Saturday and clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: "We like the idea of them because they are a development on the current birch hurdle. We felt the padded hurdles were the next stage for equine welfare."

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