Sizing Europe returned to action with the 16th win of his career in the Grade 2 PWC Champion Steepechase at Gowran Park.
Forpadydeplasterer, seven and a half lengths back, brought up the forecast. First Lieutenant finished in a dispapointing fourth position behind I Hear A Symphony. The field was reduced to just six after China Rock (lame) and Joncol (stone bruise) were declared non runners.
Speaking afterwards trainier Henry De Bromhead said,
“I’m delighted with that. I felt he was a bit scratchy but he’s like that on his first run every year. He nearly fell a few times here last year.He just likes to get his eye in on his first run but as it gets on in the season he really starts to attack them. It’s a lovely way to start and we’re looking forward to the season.There are three races to consider for him in November. The three-miler in Down Royal (jnwine.com Champion Chase), the Fortria Chase at Navan or a conditions race at Cheltenham. We’ll try to space it out, so we’ll run in one of them and then something at Christmas. He’s so good at two miles, two and a half miles and two and three quarters but three miles, I just don’t know. I want to speak to Ann and Alan (Potts) but he has loads of options.”
Jockey Andrew Lynch returning after an extended spell on the sidelines commented:
“He slipped a bit into the first and it took a while for him to get into a rhythm. But he did it really easy.It was a true run race and Robbie (Colgan) made it a good gallop. I was happy enough to follow him. It was gorgeous jumping ground, you couldn’t fault it. Hopefully he will have another good year.”
What Sizing Europe does next will be interesting. Horses have been able to win both the King George and Champion Chase …but no horse has yet managed to win both the Cheltenham Champion Chase over two miles and Gold Cup over three. We had speculated that the first two in the 2012 Champion Chase may attempt to bring up the double in 2013.
