JOE Tizzard has admitted that what happened to Thistlecrack on Friday might alter plans for Native River.

Last year’s Gold Cup third, who also won the Welsh National and Hennessy Gold Cup (now Ladbrokes Trophy), was due to have just one run before another crack at the blue riband race.

Tizzard is assistant to his father Colin and both were of the belief that Thistlecrack was fit enough to do himself justice at Newbury but he could only trail in fifth of the six runners behind Beer Goggles.

As a result Native River could now have two races before March.

“Native River is coming along really well, he’s in full work now,” said Tizzard on Racing UK’s Luck On Sunday .

“We were talking one run and then the Gold Cup. Last year it was all about the Hennessy and then take it from there but this year we are keeping him a fresher horse.

“After Thistlecrack we might give him two runs. He’s going to be ready in the New Year, where he goes exactly we haven’t got a definite plan but he’ll be ready to run in the New Year.”

Meanwhile, Colin Tizzard reports Thistlecrack on course for the defence of his 32Red King George VI Chase crown at Kempton on Boxing Day.

He told Racing UK: “The first thing is he trotted out fine, which is good.

“When he had the little tear in his tendon, he had two months in the box, then he went out in the field for four months, then he came in and was walking for two months, so he has only been galloping for two months and it just showed at the end.

“When he went between the third-last and the second-last, I thought ‘he’s going to win this’, but he blew up. He’s a big, heavy horse and when you reflect on the last 10 months it’s perfectly acceptable and we’ll push on now to the King George.”

He added: “On reflection we were probably talking him up too much (before the race), but until the second-last it sounded absolutely right. I’m sure he blew up.

“We’ve had loads of horses improve massively for one run, it’s the best part of a month anyway (to Kempton).”