Kripticjim options for Tizzard in wake of Cheltenham success

Cheltenham’s ground in March is likely to dictate whether Kripticjim runs in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle or the Albert Bartlett at the Festival in March.

Joe Tizzard’s six-year-old took his tally to three from four over timber in a Grade Two event on Saturday that was run in near darkness after starting almost 30 minutes later than advertised after a hole was discovered in the track.

At the finish of the extended two-and-a-half-mile contest it was Kripticjim, despite a mistake at the last, who just held off Ben Pauling’s Taurus Bay, with the stewards having to determine the outcome of the photo-finish from reviewing video footage due to the print being insufficiently clear.

Tizzard said: “He’s a lovely horse for the future, he’s improving and he improved all the way through his bumpers and with every run this season. I was surprised he was such a big price because what else could he have done really, he’d won at Ascot and at Newbury.

“He took a step forward on Saturday, he travelled really nicely and put it to bed well.

“It wasn’t like he’d been winning at small tracks and he’d been given a mark of 130, so I thought he’d be a shorter price. But I don’t bet so it didn’t affect me. I was chuffed to bits.”

He added: “We’ll see what the ground is like in March. He’s in both races, he travelled sweet for me at the weekend so he’s got the options.”