Joe Tizzard hopes The Big Breakaway can evoke memories of the good times he shared at Aintree over the years with his late sister, and ‘life and soul’ of the party, Kim Gingell, by rediscovering the winning touch in Saturday’s Randox Grand National.
Victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase eluded the father of one during a successful career in the saddle, however he has the chance to set the record straight in his first season at the helm of Spurles Stables with the talented eight-year-old.
While Tizzard’s parents, Colin and Pauline, will be in attendance at the three day meeting one person that will be missing from the family contingent gathered on Merseyside is his sister Kim, who passed away following a battle with cancer aged 43 in 2020.
However, despite Kim’s absence in person the Milborne Port-based handler, whose best result in the race as a jockey was a fifth place finish aboard Montifault in 2003, insists that she will not be forgotten by those that knew her best come the big occasion.
Tizzard said: “As a group we stay in the same hotel and go to the same restaurants in the evening. We have had a lot of fun and success at the meeting over the years and Kim was part of all of that.
“We were looking through some pictures the other day and there were some cracking pictures of us all misbehaving and she was the life and soul of that.
“It all still carries on and we have a big gang of us going up and we will all head out together for a few nights this week. Time is a healer but I think about Kim a lot. It has been almost three years since she passed away, but she is often talked about and is often thought about by everyone here.
“The Big Breakaway would have only won a couple of novice hurdles while she was with us and nothing more than that but she knew every horse in the yard and what they had done.”
After finishing second on his seasonal comeback at Haydock Park, The Big Breakaway filled the same spot in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow over Christmas, before failing to complete when pulled-up in last month’s Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
However, Tizzard believes a line can be put through that effort after reporting the three-time race winner to be in sparkling order at home ahead of his outing in the extended four and a quarter miles test.
He added: “His effort in the Welsh National was a hell of a run. It was an absolute blinder with a lot of weight. We know he has got the talent when it all goes to plan.
“If he gets into a rhythm over the first five fences he will be away. I think you can put a line through Cheltenham as nothing obvious came about. He was beaten far too early.
“No doubt the extra distance will help him and he proved that as he was able to travel really well in the Welsh Grand National. This bit of rain this week will suit him as well. I think he has got a big enough engine to run a big race.
“I’ve done all I can to make sure that he is fresh and well. We have tried a few things to freshen him up and he seems nice and happy in himself at home.”
Planning for an outing in a race like the Grand National takes a lot of preparation and for Tizzard his dream of getting The Big Breakaway to Aintree all began last summer following the conclusion of his second season over fences.
He added: “I was talking about him being a Grand National horse at our owners’ day in September and I was thinking about it last summer.
“I set the Welsh Grand National as a plan and that nearly came off and we said we would have a crack at the National afterwards. He is a good jumper that gallops all day so it had to be the obvious target for him.
“There is a race like this in him, whether it is the Grand National or not we will find out on Saturday. He is capable of winning a big staying handicap off his mark.”
In order to prepare The Big Breakaway for the unique test connections opted to send him down to David Pipe’s yard for a schooling session over the Grand National fences, something Tizzard hopes will stand him in good stead at the weekend.
He said “The owners were keen to just have a little practice. I don’t think it is a bad thing to do that, but I don’t think it is necessarily the end of the world if we hadn’t done it. We built Aintree-type fences when I was with Paul (Nicholls) when Double Thriller was nearly favourite and he fell at the first because he jumped it too big.
“If I didn’t do it and he fell at the first I would be seriously disappointed with myself so we have been down there and have had a pop over them and he jumped them nicely. I was lucky enough to ride in the race a few times but I’m excited about him. I’m not running him because I want a runner. I'm running him as I think he is capable of running well.”
Rest of the Tizzard team for Aintree...
Before The Big Breakaway bids to join an illustrious roll of honour Tizzard will send a small but select team of runners to the track including Eldorado Alllen, who could have his chasing career put on hold for a tilt at the Grade One JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle.
Tizzard added: “I’ve entered Eldorado Allen in the Liverpool Hurdle on Saturday to give him an option in that. Looking through the entries if he converted his chase rating to hurdles, and I don’t see why he couldn’t, it puts him right at the top end.
“He is also entered in the three mile one handicap chase on the Saturday now he is 158. He has been a brilliant all season and we’ve had a lot of fun and picked up some good prizemoney doing it but we want to try and get his head in front again.
“I’m quite tempted by the hurdle race as he is on a par with the rest of them on his ratings.”
Twenty four hours before The Big Breakaway tackles the famous Aintree fences stablemate Killer Kane will have a spin over them in the Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Handicap Chase.
He said: “Killer Kane hasn’t done an awful lot wrong this season and he finished third in the three mile one handicap chase at the meeting last year.
“I think two miles five (furlongs) over these fences will suit him well. It is a hot race but if he jumps well he should be competitive. He has had a school over the Aintree style fences at David Pipe’s, like The Big Breakaway, and he jumped them lovely.
“He has only just snuck in at the bottom of the handicap so he has a nice racing weight and he deserves to take his chance. I can’t see no reason why he won’t give Brendan Powell a lovely spin around there.”
Later on the same card JPR One will bid to follow up his last time out success at Taunton when taking on 21 rivals in the Abersoch Land And Sea Handicap Hurdle, which is restricted to conditional jockeys’ and amateur riders.
He added: “JPR One got balloted out of the two and a half mile handicap hurdle so we have decided to go for the conditional jockeys’ race which was his other option.
“Harry Kimber comes in for the ride and takes three pounds off his back and he is riding as well as any conditional. He is having a super season and it is nice to give him a big ride. He improved for the run at Taunton but it is a tough handicap. I hold him in high regard and I think he can be competitive in this kind of race but we can’t wait to go novice chasing with him next season.”
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