Henry de Bromhead’s Arkle winner Sizing Europe will face 10 rivals as he tackles more experienced horses in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.
The eight-year-old is unbeaten over fences since making his debut in May, and held on in determined fashion at Cheltenham as Somersby closed him down close home. His handler has taken the bold move of stepping him up to face the best two-milers in the business, rather than keep him to novice company. Among the high-class opposition is Tom Cooper’s Forpadydeplasterer, second in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and again at Aintree over two and a half miles.
He also won last year’s Arkle, his only victory in his last nine starts which have yielded eight second-place finishes. Paul Nicholls runs Twist Magic, winner of the Tingle Creek and Victor Chandler Chase this season and also successful in this contest in 2008. The other British raiders are Ferdy Murphy’s Kalahari King, an early casualty at Aintree having finished third in the Queen Mother, and the Nick Williams-trained Cornas.
Willie Mullins runs three – Barker, Scotsirish and Golden Silver – while James Lambe is responsible for 2008 runner-up Natal, a former Nicholls inmate. Gordon Elliott lets Salford City take his chance, with Colm Murphy relying upon Don’t Be Bitin in the absence of Big Zeb.
Punchestown Champion Chase 11-4 Kalahari King, Twist Magic, 100-30 Sizing Europe, 9-2 Forpadydeplasterer, 10 Golden Silver, 16 Barker, 25 Salford City, Scotsirish, 40 Cornas, Don’t Be Bitin, Natal
Nicky Henderson’s General Miller will look to follow up his Aintree victory in Tuesday’s Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. A first-flight casualty in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, won by Menorah, he left connections wondering what might have been when beating Philip Hobbs’ charge at Aintree.
Another British raider is Charlie McBride’s Rollwiththepunches, second to another smart Hobbs novice, Captain Chris, on his last start at Kempton. Willie Mullins runs Flat Out, fifth in the Supreme, and Blackstairmountain, who disappointed at Cheltenham but ran much better when only worn down close home by Luska Lad at Fairyhouse.
Henry de Bromhead lets the exciting Loosen My Load take his chance, while Sweeps Hill, a classy bumper performer last term, has his first run of the calendar year. Tom Mullins relies upon Some Slam, winner of a Naas maiden hurdle on his last start. The Gordon Elliott-trained Grey Soldier, a disappointment in the Dovecote at Kempton, Eddie Harty’s Baron De’l and Tilabay complete the line-up.
Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle 11-8 General Miller, 5 Blackstairmountain, Flat Out, Sweeps Hill, 10 Loosen My Load, 12 Some Slam, 16 Grey Soldier, 25 Rollwiththepunches, 33 Tilabay, 100 Baron De’l
Top-class novice Dunguib is set to take his chance in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on Friday. Trainer Philip Fenton has decided to take on the likes of Hurricane Fly, Solwhit and Punjabi rather than go for the Evening Herald Champion Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday.
“We’re going to let him take his chance in Friday’s race rather than Tuesday’s novice hurdle,” said the County Tipperary handler.
“I hear they have done a marvellous job with the watering up there and we’ve more chance of getting rain between now and Friday than between now and Tuesday.”
Last season’s leading bumper horse created a big impression when winning his first four starts over jumps before finishing third to Menorah in the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.
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