Sizing Europe opts for Queen Mother

RUGBY:SIZING EUROPE will line up against Big Zeb and Master Minded in next month's Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Despite also holding entries in the Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase, trainer Henry De Bromhead has elected to run his stable star back over the two-mile course and distance at which Sizing Europe landed last year’s Arkle.

Sizing Europe finished third to Golden Silver and Big Zeb in Punchestown’s Tied Cottage Chase on his last start, and prior to that had finished runner-up to Kauto Star in the JN Wine Champion Chase at Down Royal over three miles.

Plans for a much anticipated tilt at the King George over Christmas were abandoned when the Kempton highlight had to be postponed for a number of weeks.

“We probably never got real clarification about the three miles,” De Bromhead said yesterday.

“The King George was going to help decide what route we would go and we never got the opportunity to take that option.

“So we’ve decided to step back to what we know he’s good at. He has proven so much over the course and distance.

“What we would love now is goodish ground at Cheltenham. That, and a strong pace, are what is key to him being at his best whatever race he runs in.

“His last run was fine. We got a run into him. He could have jumped a little better but I would put that down to the ground and the pace.

“At that standard you need everything in your favour,” the Waterford trainer added.

Sizing Europe was a 16 to 1 shot for the two-mile crown in ante-post betting with Ladbrokes yesterday.

The reigning champion, Big Zeb, Ireland’s current horse of the year, is on course to try to retain his crown, while Master Minded, winner in 2008 and 2009, is the 9 to 4 market leader for the Queen Mother.

Big Zeb’s trainer Colm Murphy gave an upbeat bulletin on his star performer yesterday despite a Tied Cottage defeat last month.

“We couldn’t have been happier with him. We were disappointed with the result, but he ran a blinder. Everything has gone to plan and it’s all systems go for Cheltenham.

“We’ve probably got a better run with him this year. He had a bone problem and he had a twitch of arthritis, but we’ve been lucky and been able to keep on top of that,” he said yesterday.

“Things have gone really well with him, and if we could have changed the result the last day everything would have gone to plan.

“We were disappointed to get beat, but we weren’t disappointed the way he ran so in that sense we couldn’t be happier.

“As well as Master Minded, there’s the likes of Somersby and Woolcombe Folly. They are on the upgrade and likely to improve as the year goes on. If they keep improving they are definitely major players as well.

“But I wouldn’t swap my horse for anything else,” Murphy added.