Irish Weekend Preview: Europe to rule at Punchestown on Sunday

Ante-post / Timeform / 01 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Sizing Europe can get the better of old foe Big Zeb on Sunday

"With so little to choose between the pair, the value must lie with Sizing Europe."

The highlight of the weekend is the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday which features a clash between champion chaser Sizing Europe and the horse whose crown he took at Cheltenham last March, Big Zeb......

The Tied Cottage looks a match in all but name and at the time of writing Big Zeb is favourite. He gained his revenge on Henry de Bromhead's charge at Punchestown last May, when better suited by how things panned out than at Prestbury Park, and has shown he's as good as ever this winter with wins in the Fortria at Navan and Dial-A-Bet at Leopardstown.

On the other hand, Sizing Europe has been in fine form himself this campaign, his only defeat coming when undone by three miles on bad ground at Down Royal in November, while he was back to his best when slamming his rivals in the Tingle Creek at Sandown the following month. There's likely to be a small field in the Tied Cottage and it'll probably prove a tactical affair too with Imperial Shabra the only confirmed front runner in the line-up and he's well out of his depth. With so little to choose between the pair, the value must lie with Sizing Europe.

The Grade 2 novice hurdle over two miles earlier on the card provides the main support on what is a fairly quiet weekend of racing on the Irish front, and Willie Mullins has Felix Yonger, Simenon and Terminal all entered. All three are more about style than substance so far, merely with maiden victories to their name in the sphere, but the second-named was highly impressive when scoring at Cork in January and was useful on the Flat for Andrew Balding, so looks the pick of that trio.

Trifolium and Alderwood head the ratings and the former has looked a graded-race winner in the making, scoring in a maiden at Cork and four-year-old minor event at Limerick before chasing home So Young at Navan. He will hold a favourite's chance if standing his ground, especially as Alderwood arguably reached his peak throughout a busy campaign over the summer, beaten by Laganbank on his final start in September, who has since been exposed at a higher level.

Others entered at this stage include Joxer, who looks capable of better having seen off the highly promising Allure of Illusion (also entered this weekend) at Punchestown last time, while Caolaneoin wasn't far off the best bumper horses last season and looked good when scoring at Fairyhouse recently, though he will have to brush up on his jumping.

The main handicap action of the weekend comes courtesy of the National Trial Handicap Chase and Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (qualifier), both at Punchestown. There are some interesting entries, Smoking Aces back at a marathon trip catching the eye in the former, but both will be highly competitive and neither have markets up yet, so it's impossible to draw firm conclusions at this time.