RACING:MANY HOTLY anticipated head-to-head duels have a habit of turning into anti-climaxes but Big Zeb's hugely exciting defeat of Sizing Europe in last evening's Punchestown Festival highlight lived up to expectations.
Certainly any suggestion that Sizing Europe’s defeat of Big Zeb at Cheltenham in March represented a definitive changing of the guard was blown out of the water with the ex-champion getting his revenge in style in the Boylesports Champion Chase.
Just three parts of a length separated the pair at the end but the rivalry between the two champs looks set to continue for another season with bookmakers divided about which horse should top the betting for next year’s two-mile crown at Cheltenham.
“At this level, they are all top class. It depends on who shows up best on the day,” said Sizing Europe’s trainer Henry De Bromhead. “Possibly our fella missed the hill at Cheltenham. Big Zeb was able to sprint away from him there.”
Barry Geraghty was making a top-flight return to action after sustaining a shoulder injury at Fairyhouse last week and although the jockey was inclined to describe the watered ground as riding a little dead, it was also crucially a little faster than at Cheltenham.
“It is Spring ground, a little faster and it has more life in it. I was always able to sit comfortably off Sizing Europe today whereas I couldn’t at Cheltenham,” he said.
“I thought I was in trouble at the back of the fourth last when he made a mistake but he was back on the bridle straight away. He’s gutsy. And you have to say Sizing Europe went out fighting,” Geraghty added.
It was the sort of contest that provoked comparisons with the ultimate two-mile exponent in modern Irish racing history, Moscow Flyer, and Geraghty had no problem noting comparisons with the great horse he used to ride.
“I’ve compared Big Zeb to Moscow Flyer because he is willing to take a chance. It’s the same with Sizing Europe. They are real gutsy and answer everything you throw at them,” he said.
De Bromhead didn’t tie himself down to Sizing Europe being targeted again at the Champion Chase in 2012 and Colm Murphy also expressed a desire to take things on a race-by-race basis with Big Zeb next season.
“He’s not getting younger. He’ll be 11 next year so we will see how we go. We’ll look at things after each race,” he said.
However, some ante-post lists now have Big Zeb as a 4 to 1 favourite to regain his Cheltenham crown next year, although Murphy was delighted to secure yesterday’s €140,000 feature on its own merits.
“That was fantastic. I’m delighted for the horse. He’s one in a million, he gives everything,” the Co Wexford trainer said. “I was happy all the way around and I thought Sizing Europe never looked as happy today as he did at Cheltenham.”
The great part is that there could be more days next season when both Big Zeb and Sizing Europe look happy and ready to go at it once again.
