Colin Tizzard won’t rush Finian’s Oscar reappearance after poor Sandown showing

COLIN TIZZARD is still bewildered by Finian's Oscar lacklustre run at Sandown last weekend and has put a line through the run, although he has ruled out a quick reappearance at Cheltenham this weekend.

The Grade One-winning novice hurdler went to Sandown unbeaten over fences after two relatively easy starts over the larger obstacles, but dropped to two miles for the Henry VIII Novices' Chase he never travelled with any real zest for Robbie Power and never managed to get into contention.

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"We don't really know why he didn't lie up last week. Was it all pace? I don't know. We will put a line through it and you can see he wasn't quite himself," said Tizzard.

"He doesn't appear that way at home. We will wait three weeks and find a race for him, then start again.

"We might do that and go for the Dipper (Cheltenham, New Year's Day), but at this moment I wouldn't think we would go to Kempton (Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Boxing Day) - things change, but we are not going to run him this weekend, anyway."

One who could be in action over Christmas in the Kauto Star race is Elegant Escape, already a Grade Two winner.

"He will go to Ascot (Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle). That is his race. He has been fine and has just been in general training. He is a lovely horse," said Tizzard.

"We could have gone anywhere with him, but this is what we thought we would do. He will be tested next time, but he has not really been tested yet. You can guarantee at Ascot he will be.

"If the ground gets heavy that will be a factor. Presentings haven't handled deep ground as well as good, so that is a factor. If we get beat we know where we are.

"We have done two ordinary novices, now we have got to have a go at a better one."