Card right on Cue at Aintree Champion Bumper winner Cue Card made the perfect start to his career over obstacles with a brilliant display in the EBF Bestway "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle. Colin Tizzard's charge was sent off the 1-2 favourite on his first racecourse appearance since his runaway victory at the Cheltenham Festival and was always travelling ominously well. The trainer's son Joe Tizzard was still sitting pretty turning for home and only had to let out an inch of rein to allow his mount to quicken clear. He safely negotiated the last few obstacles with the minimum of fuss and came home 13 lengths clear of Dear Sam. "He's exciting but there's a lot of responsibility that goes with it," said Tizzard senior. "He has done everything we expected him to and we could look to all the good two-mile and two-and-a-half mile novice races. "He could go to Cheltenham in three weeks' time as he hasn't taken anything out of himself." William Hill were impressed by the performance and cut him to 7-1 favourite from 10-1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle back at Cheltenham in March.
