3.00 Sandown preview: Tizzard holds strong hand

Joe Tizzard appears to hold all the aces as he prepares to launch a two-pronged challenge on Sandown’s Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase with the resurgent Copperhead and stable stalwart Eldorado Allen.

The 11-year-olds have been part of the furniture at the Dorset yard and have played their part in many a good race over the years.

They now form an excellent hand for their trainer to play in this £100,000 contest, after a fine first half of the current campaign, finishing second and third respectively over what could be deemed an inadequate test of stamina at Cheltenham in December.

“I wouldn’t want to have to split them to be honest, they’ve both been excellent horses for the yard and are in wonderful form,” said Tizzard of their Sandown chances.

“I love these races and we love supporting them and on their Cheltenham runs they should have a great chance. It’s a big pot for older horses and I’m looking forward to them running.”

Eldorado Allen has placed in both starts this term, with Copperhead bagging an autumn hat-trick before hitting the crossbar the last twice.

Tizzard has been delighted to see him return to the form that once saw him a high-ranking novice chaser and is hopeful of a bold bid.

“Copperhead especially has turned a corner and is somewhere back to near his best,” continued Tizzard.

“I was really chuffed just to get him to win, to be honest, as he had been knocking on the door for the best part of 18 months and then soon as he won it just goes to show what he has always been capable of.

“He’s bloomed this autumn in these veteran races and they have suited him. He has grown in confidence and he’s ran some super races and there is no reason why he won’t run a massive race.”

Sam Brown rolled back the years to win this race for Anthony Honeyball 12 months ago when the race was redirected to Warwick and will shoulder top-weight when attempting to defend his title.

However, he will have the assistance of conditional Chad Bament to remove 10lb and his trainer is using his third in the Charlie Hall earlier in the season as evidence another big display could be on the cards.

Honeyball said: “He’s been good and I’ve been really happy with him, he schooled well on Friday morning.

“Chad Bament schooled him and he had a nice canter round and a jump. I suppose with the 10lb off, if he goes and runs his race and at halfway he is lobbing along in the middle of them not under too much pressure, I think he would have to be bang there.

“His third in the Charlie Hall sort of says he is running to a mark in the 150s there and if we run him off what is effectively 143, I don’t think he will have gone down hill overnight.

“He never really got going last time in the Coral Gold Cup, but he seems to be in as good form as he was this time last year ahead of Warwick and all seems good at home. I think if Chad and him get on well and have average luck, he has to be thereabouts.

“We’ve been lucky to win the race twice now with both Sam Brown and Jepeck, so we’ve been fortunate and last time we were very lucky as Sam wasn’t quite ready for Sandown but it was abandoned and the extra week and it moving to Warwick helped us. We’re happy enough where we are with him this time though.”

Empire Steel is another to represent a yard with winning history in this contest with the Sandy Thomson team sending Seeyouatmidnight south to strike in 2021.

Henry Daly’s Fortescue was second to Copperhead at Aintree in October and is a course-and-distance scorer, while David Pipe won the inaugural running with Soll and now saddles Remastered who is an eight-time scorer and top chaser on his day, but has failed to complete the last twice.

Harry Fry’s Ask Me Early, Smarty Wild representing Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and Venetia Williams’ Chambard – a winner at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 – complete the field.