THISTLECRACK’S ODDS FOR winning Cheltenham’s World Hurdle next March have been slashed after a comprehensive win in today’s JLT Long Walk Hurdle.
Colin Tizzard’s stayer excelled at Ascot in the hands of Tom Scudamore, comfortably seeing off Reve De Sivola, who was bidding for a record fourth win in the race. Deputy Dan came home in third.
The 2/1 favourite sat in midfield early on before kicking on at the second last to win by eight lengths. And that performance has seen the seven-year-old shortened into 3/1 from 8/1 to claim glory in the World Hurdle.
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Tizzard admitted today’s performance put any doubts he had about Thistlecrack to bed.
“I had it on my mind all summer that if he’s not up to World Hurdle class we’d scrap that and go over fences,” he said.
“We said we’d give him two runs over hurdles to see if he’s good enough and we now know what the answer to that is.
“He’ll run again one more time before Cheltenham, otherwise I’d be left twiddling my thumbs with him for three months.”
Later in the day there was a thrilling dead-heat in the Ladbroke Hurdle as Sternrubin and Jolly’s Cracked It shared the honours.
Phillip Hobbs’ Sternrubin dug deep late under Richard Johnson when he looked beaten and managed to haul back Harry Fry’s mount.
Renneti and Some Plan made up the minor placings.
Wakanda was another big winner at Ascot today as Sue Smith saddled her 1000th winner in the Sodexo Silver Cup.
The six-year-old was under pressure late on but responded in kind, finishing ahead of Virak, Fingal Bay and The Young Master.
Thistlecrack's World Hurdle odds slashed after devastating performance
THISTLECRACK’S ODDS FOR winning Cheltenham’s World Hurdle next March have been slashed after a comprehensive win in today’s JLT Long Walk Hurdle.
Colin Tizzard’s stayer excelled at Ascot in the hands of Tom Scudamore, comfortably seeing off Reve De Sivola, who was bidding for a record fourth win in the race. Deputy Dan came home in third.
The 2/1 favourite sat in midfield early on before kicking on at the second last to win by eight lengths. And that performance has seen the seven-year-old shortened into 3/1 from 8/1 to claim glory in the World Hurdle.
Tizzard admitted today’s performance put any doubts he had about Thistlecrack to bed.
“I had it on my mind all summer that if he’s not up to World Hurdle class we’d scrap that and go over fences,” he said.
“We said we’d give him two runs over hurdles to see if he’s good enough and we now know what the answer to that is.
“He’ll run again one more time before Cheltenham, otherwise I’d be left twiddling my thumbs with him for three months.”
Later in the day there was a thrilling dead-heat in the Ladbroke Hurdle as Sternrubin and Jolly’s Cracked It shared the honours.
Phillip Hobbs’ Sternrubin dug deep late under Richard Johnson when he looked beaten and managed to haul back Harry Fry’s mount.
Renneti and Some Plan made up the minor placings.
Wakanda was another big winner at Ascot today as Sue Smith saddled her 1000th winner in the Sodexo Silver Cup.
The six-year-old was under pressure late on but responded in kind, finishing ahead of Virak, Fingal Bay and The Young Master.
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Ascot Cheltenham Colin Tizzard favourite tag Horse Racing Long Walk Hurdle Thistlecrack World Hurdle