CORAL RELEASE NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES ON JOE TIZZARD’S FIRST SEASON

The Six-Part Series Called “Taking the Reins” can be accessed here:

Coral today releases a new six-part documentary series called “Taking the Reins” which follows Joe Tizzard’s first season as a racehorse trainer having taken over the family-run Venn Farm operation from his father Colin.

The series, produced by Equine Production, follows Joe Tizzard and his team, along with his family, owners and racehorses, from mid-November as they prepare for the Coral Gold Cup meeting at Newbury, through the busy Christmas period, the challenging weather in January, the Festival trials in February, through to the Cheltenham Festival itself, climaxing with last month’s Grand National.

All six episodes of “Taking the Reins” are being released today on the Coral Racing Club YouTube channel, as well as the YouTube channel of distribution partner, Racing Post, making it easily accessible and free-to-view.

Simon Clare, Coral PR Director and Executive Producer of Taking the Reins said today,

“Coral is a horse racing brand through and through and our main aim is to get our customers closer to the action to enhance their passion for the sport. Given the huge popularity of fly-on-the-wall sports documentaries, we decided to take the plunge, and with our partners at Equine Productions, embarked on a major project charting the progress of Joe Tizzard’s first season as a racehorse trainer over a six-month period, focusing on a wide range of compelling stories featuring his racehorses, his owners, his family and his hard-working team, around some of the biggest race meetings in the calendar.

“We hope viewers will find this an entertaining and exciting watch and would like to thank Joe and everyone who participated in the series for their willingness to open their lives and emotions to the cameras. The Equine Productions team have done an amazing job but we couldn’t have produced the series without the support of many individuals and bodies within the racing industry to which we are indebted.”

Dave James, CEO of Equine Productions and Executive Producer of Taking the Reins, said today,

“‘Taking The Reins’ tells the story of Joe Tizzard’s first season as a trainer at the helm of Venn Farm. Through the depths of winter to the sport’s show-stopper at The Grand National we followed Joe and his team, exploring emotional and engaging stories while showing the trials and tribulations that come with being at the elite end of National Hunt racing.

“We believe at its heart it is a story about racing people for racing people, though there will also be a natural appeal to general sport lovers too. We are hugely grateful to Joe for letting us in and opening up, we had full access to the yard and the team and we thank them for giving the project their all even when times got tough. An added thank you has to go to the team at Coral for backing this unwritten story.”

Episode 1: Chasing Gold

Joe Tizzard, son of legendary trainer Colin Tizzard, has inherited his father’s passion for the sport – and now, the family business. With a reputation to maintain, and a string of promising horses under his care, how will one of the sport’s rising stars fare as he takes the reins at Venn Farm?

Episode 2: Second Best

With the loss of his sister, Kim, weighing heavily on his mind in the build-up to two of the biggest races of the year – the King George VI Chase and the Coral Welsh Grand National – Joe is determined to keep his stable at the top of their game.

Episode 3: Frozen Sky

Joe opens up about the immense pressure to deliver results, as a quiet spell brings added scrutiny. Plus, with the weather causing cancellations and rescheduling, including that of the Clarence House Chase, Joe has to find a way to make it work.

Episode 4: Another Chance

Tension builds as the Cheltenham Festival approaches, as the team put their final preparations in place for the biggest Jumps event of the year. With the stakes higher than ever, how will Joe deal with the setbacks and injuries that come with the territory?

Episode 5: Cheltenham

We go behind the scenes at the exhausting, exhilarating, four-day extravaganza that is Cheltenham Festival, as Joe and his team go head-to-head with the best in the business at the holy grail of Jumps Racing.

Episode 6: Grand National

The ultimate test of skill and bravery – with the added media attention that accompanies threat of disruption by protestors – it’s the race of a lifetime for Joe and his team at the 2023 Randox Grand National. And, after this, what next for Joe and his horses?

Our thanks and appreciation for their support go to:
Racecourse Media Group,
Attheraces,
Sky Sports Racing,
Racing Post,
Getty Images,

Aintree Racecourse,
Ascot Racecourse,
Cheltenham Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse,
Kempton Park Racecourse,
Newbury Racecourse,
Taunton Racecourse,
Wincanton Racecourse,
The Jockey Club,
Arena Racecourse Company,
British Horseracing Authority,
Artlist,
Audio Network,
Freesound,
Clearcut Sound Studios