Europe red hot for big hurdle

Henry De Bromhead is still adjusting to having the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle favourite housed in his yard.

Henry De Bromhead is still adjusting to having the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle favourite housed in his yard.

For Sizing Europe is the red-hot 5 to 2 favourite for the Cheltenham crown following a scintillating eight-length victory in Sunday's AIG Europe Champion Hurdle.

The six-year-old, who landed the Greatwood Hurdle from Osana on his previous start, will not now be seen again until the Festival in March.

"I don't really think it has sunk in - the phone has not stopped ringing since Sunday afternoon so I haven't even had a chance to think about it," said De Bromhead.

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"The horse seems absolutely fine. He is having some hydrotherapy, which he loves, and will be chilling out for a while.

"He's not a horse who needs a lot of work, but we'll still have to think about getting him ready for March 11th."

Andrew McNamara, who rode Sizing Europe for the first time at Leopardstown, is set to remain in the plate at the festival.

"That is what I gather from Alan (Potts, owner) anyway," the Waterford trainer added. "It's just very exciting and a big challenge (lies ahead) from the likes of Osana, Sublimity and Straw Bear."

Ballymore have announced their sponsorship of the inaugural fifth day of the Punchestown Festival.

The four-day meeting has been extended to include Saturday this year, with the two-and-a-half-mile Ballymore 25th Anniversary Hurdle the feature event. Worth a total of €220,000, it will be the most valuable handicap hurdle ever run in Britain and Ireland.