From winter floods to first past the post, Chris Wald sees perseverance paying off as the Tizzard team looks ahead to Cheltenham and Aintree
We had to wait until 16th January for our first winner of the New Year, when I Shut That D’or won a handicap chase at Hereford. This was largely down to the number of meetings that were either rained, frozen or snowed off. It felt good to get off the mark for 2025.
I Shut That D’or was a bargain buy at the start of the season for Derrick and Susan Maize and his form reads 1-2-1-1 since they bought him, proving you don’t always have to spend a fortune to get results and have some fun in horse racing.
Having been frozen off twice already, the final of the Veteran’s series was eventually run at Market Rasen. Copperhead made the long journey worthwhile, making all (leading from the front) to secure the most valuable prize of the season. He now holds an entry in the Aintree Grand National in April.
At the risk of sounding like a weather report, January ended pretty much the way it had begun – with Storm Eowyn causing havoc.
The floods made life difficult for everyone, but luckily most of the staff were able to find a way in to work. I was unable to get out of the road from my house for two days but thankfully, after a lift through the flood on a telehandler, I was able to jump in with Sophie who passes by en route to the yard. A fallen tree was also blocking the road we ride down to get to the gallops, but this was swiftly removed by Krystov who works on the farm.
Patience pays off
Luckily the rain finally relented and Wincanton passed a couple of inspections to get its meeting on at the end of the month. Bobbi With An I won a Mares’ Novice Hurdle, only six weeks after being purchased from the Cheltenham Sales. She looks an exciting prospect. And then Pedley Wood followed up his Boxing Day win to win the Dick Hunt trophy. His part owners, the Messenger family, always have one horse in training and had gone seven years without a winner until last season, but Pedley Wood has now won four of his last eight races. Good things come to those who wait!
With January finally behind us we are looking forward to what will hopefully be a really strong spring campaign.
The first weekend in February we have some exciting runners, including JPR One in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury on Saturday 8th and Alexei in a Listed Novice Hurdle at Exeter on Sunday 9th – both horses who have targets at the Cheltenham Festival.
