JPR One gives Tizzard team yet more Haldon Gold Cup glory

The Tizzard family’s love affair with the BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup continued apace when JPR One oozed class at Exeter.

Having won the race as a jockey on Lake Kariba and Flagship Uberalles back-to-back in 1998 and 1999 for Paul Nicholls, Joe Tizzard then teamed up with his father Colin in 2012 with the brilliant Cue Card.

Brendan Powell partnered Eldorado Allen to victory in 2021 when Colin still held the licence and when Joe took over at the helm, Freddie Gingell rode Elixir De Nutz to an emotional success last year.

JPR One was a Grade Two-winning novice last season and has had this as his aim since coming back into training and those who backed him at 11-4 never had a moment of worry.

Bryony Frost, on her return to the UK, tried unsuccessfully to make all on Sans Bruit and while Etalon and Scarface dropped away, Djelo began to get involved – but he was not travelling as easily as JPR One and Powell and went down by three-quarters of a length.

“He travelled so well and jumped. He’s my bright spark, I’m a bit emotional about it,” Joe Tizzard told Racing TV.

“You need the proper horses. We’ve had a lovely prep and it was always the plan to come here. This horse is the future and hopefully he takes us right to the top.

“From the new year onwards, this was the plan. The second half of last season, we didn’t get his ground; he ran well enough in the Arkle but didn’t get up the hill on the ground.

“He’s just got one kick, I think, and I said to ride him like the best horse in the race and he did that. He’s a good horse.

“He’ll get an entry in the Tingle Creek and we’ll see what the handicapper does, but I won’t get bullied into running him on the wrong ground, so I’ll manage him properly.”

Powell said on ITV Racing: “It’s been made fairly public that we have loved this horse for quite a long time now.

“He’s had his ups and downs, quite literally, but today he gave me the feel of what he can do. That was his first run and I’d like to think he can still improve.

“It’s good for everyone and the horses are in good form. He’s got one run at the finish, it doesn’t last very long, so you have to time it right.

“These races are hard to win, even if there are only five or six runners – we get up every morning for days like today.”

Owner John Romans added: “He’s very good and he did it very well.

“Joe has been very nervous in the build-up, I’ve never seen him like that. Then he won the best turned out and everyone said it was bad news, but he jumped like a stag.

“I should think we might have a few glasses of champagne!”