RACING:MOST BOOKMAKERS appear to reckon Sizing Europe is likely to line up at Cheltenham in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but trainer Henry De Bromhead insists no decision has been taken on the horse's festival target.
Sizing Europe also holds entries in the Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase, and he is set to have a warm-up in the next few weeks which will have a big say in which race he goes for in March.
Last season’s Arkle hero, who bypassed the re-scheduled King George at Kempton over the weekend, is rated the second-best Irish prospect for Gold Cup glory by bookmakers, who make him a general 20 to 1 shot for steeplechasing’s blue riband.
Sizing Europe is also 12 to 1 in some lists for the Ryanair, but is a 7 to 1 third favourite for the two-mile crown for which only the champions Big Zeb and Master Minded are priced lower.
“We’re looking at our Cheltenham options, but our first task is to find him a suitable warm-up race for the festival,” De Bromhead said yesterday. “That looks like being at the end of January or the start of February. After that we’ll look at Cheltenham again.
“He’s in mighty form and we’re keen to get a prep run into him. But, in terms of the festival, we’re keen on keeping our options open,” he added.
Sizing Europe’s King George defection left Forpadydeplasterer as the sole Irish runner at Kempton on Saturday. But as Long Run brought an end to Kauto Star’s reign, the Tom Cooper-trained horse was pulled up before the 12th fence. He was found afterwards to be clinically abnormal and stayed at the Kempton stables overnight.
“He will be okay,” said Cooper. “We’ll give him a rest when he gets back home. I’ve no idea when he’ll run again at this stage. You could see he wasn’t going after half a mile.”
Pandorama, the shortest-priced Irish entry for the Gold Cup, will attempt to earn his Cheltenham spurs when he returns to the course and distance of his Lexus triumph in Leopardstown’s Hennessy Gold Cup on February 6th.
Trainer Noel Meade confirmed yesterday: “We’ll go for the Hennessy and see how that goes. If that went well, it (Gold Cup) is what everybody dreams of, we’d love to go for it.
“The ground is important to him though. It would have to be good to soft at least, but we’ve got a long way to go yet.”
Dessie Hughes has never hit the Red Mills Thyestes Chase scoreboard during a long career as a jockey or trainer, but he will be doubly represented in Thursday’s €90,000 feature at Gowran Park.
Topweight Siegemaster is back for another crack at the three-mile event after finishing third last year, while Hughes also plans to run Ten Fires, who returned from a 10-month absence with a second at Naas a fortnight ago.
Pomme Tiephy continues to be a warm favourite for the Thyestes and was cut a point into 4 to 1 by Paddy Power yesterday.
