Tizzard may split stars
Cue Card was beaten fair and square by stablemate Thistlecrack in the King George and Tizzard admits he may not go for another tilt at the Gold Cup
TRAINER Colin Tizzard will consider switching Cue Card to the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after he proved no match for Thistlecrack in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The stable companions went head-to-head in the Boxing Day spectacular and it was the novice Thistlecrack who powered clear in the hands of Tom Scudamore, with defending champion Cue Card narrowly beating dual King George hero Silviniaco Conti to the runner-up spot.
Thistlecrack is unsurprisingly a short priced favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Cue Card a best priced 12-1, having fallen in the blue riband last March.
However, the Dorset handler could split his aces by bringing Cue Card back in distance in the Ryanair Chase, a race he won in 2013.
Tizzard said: "He's absolutely fine and he paid the price a bit for chasing Thistlecrack out in the country. It was good for him to hang on for second.
"The Ryanair we are definitely thinking about and we are likely to take Cue Card to Ascot for the Ascot Chase."