Punchestown remains an option for Sizing Europe

SIZING EUROPE could yet attempt to gain some compensation for his Champion Hurdle disappointment at Cheltenham last week by running in next month's Punchestown festival.

The brilliant AIG winner started a well-backed favourite to win eight days ago but after travelling like a winner for much of the race faded badly from the second last and was all but pulled up.

A veterinary examination immediately afterwards by the racecourse vet at Cheltenham indicated muscle trouble in Sizing Europe's back was the cause of his quick exit from contention, and that has now been backed up by an examination closer to home.

"We have had someone here to look at him and she's saying the same thing," said trainer Henry De Bromhead from his Waterford base yesterday. "It's nothing bad. We simply had to get him realigned, which we did yesterday, and he will take it easy for a few days now."

A decision on whether the horse runs again this season will not be taken until later but the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown festival remains an option.

"We will have to see how he progresses but Punchestown is definitely not out of the equation," De Bromhead added.

The Grade One focus will switch this Easter weekend to Fairyhouse, where Sunday's Powers Gold Cup will have a maximum of 14 runners. Those 14 that were left in at yesterday's forfeit stage include the Grade One winners J'y Vole and Sky's The Limit, both of whom missed out on the Cheltenham festival in order to wait for this two-and-a-half-mile highlight.

Willie Mullins's decision to bypass last week's festival with J'y Vole was also influenced by the mare's tendency when winning the Dr PJ Moriarty at Leopardstown to jump dramatically to her right.

But a run subsequent to that in a Grade Two at Naas saw J'y Vole disappoint badly when only third to Thyne Again, though Mullins yesterday was blaming himself for that.

"Her run the last day was my fault. I shouldn't have run her so soon again," the Co Carlow-based trainer said.

"She has had more time between races now and she's in good form again. The plan is to run."

Sky's The Limit was beaten in that PJ Moriarty but had earlier in the season won a pair of Grade One prizes, the Drinmore and the Durkan New Homes.

Edward O'Grady has pinpointed Sunday's race as a likely target for the former Cheltenham festival winner, whose other opposition could include Conna Castle, Big Zeb and the sole British entry, Gardasee.

Mullins has also entered his prolific winner Cooldine among the 27 left in the Grade Two Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Novice Hurdle on Sunday but said: "He has a couple of other options over Easter and I will look at the entries before deciding where he runs."

Mullins trails his big rival Noel Meade by just over a €100,000 in the race for the Irish jump trainers championship, and the upcoming Easter festival, including Monday's National, and Punchestown in April are likely to have a dramatic impact on who emerges best.

The going at Fairyhouse is currently heavy and though there is a mixed forecast for the weekend, the authorities at the Ratoath track are not particularly anxious as yet.

"From Thursday on the forecast is mixed but the emphasis seems to be more on cold and frost rather than rain," said the manager, Caroline Grey, yesterday.

"Obviously you're always slightly worried when you hear that, but I'd be a lot more worried if the forecast was full of rain."

Such considerations are not an issue this evening at Dundalk, where there could be a Presidential success in the mile-and-a-quarter maiden for Suailce. Dermot Weld's runner races in the colours of the President and it looked as if a race like this would be well within her compass, given a very encouraging Leopardstown debut last November behind Simawa.

John Oxx's newcomer Alaniya looks a likely danger.

Weld will also fancy his chances in the three-year-old mile handicap with the course winner No Strings, who is 4lb higher for a narrow success over 10 furlongs on his last start. No Strings is likely to be a major player but even with topweight Divinitus might be one to score for Michael Grassick and Séamus Heffernan. This fine-looking colt looked a type to improve with time and his fourth to Alessandro Volta in a Listed race is pretty good form.

Cosmo King got turned over on his return to flat racing here but Michael Halford's winning hurdler should appreciate the extra distance of the mile-and-a-half handicap.