IT TOOK THREE years longer than first seemed likely, but Sizing Europe finally became a true Cheltenham champion yesterday with a devastating defeat of Big Zeb in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
After a season spent largely in pursuit of answers about whether he was really a three-mile chaser, Sizing Europe returned to the course and distance of his Arkle triumph in 2010 to become champion of the two-milers.
As Andrew Lynch dominated the race from the front on Henry De Bromhead’s star, they proved far too good for the former title-holder Big Zeb, who in turn led home Captain Cee Bee and Golden Silver in an Irish clean-sweep to the day-two feature.
The heavily backed favourite and dual-champion Master Minded faded completely to finish only eighth.
That Arkle triumph last year may have cauterised many of the wounds the De Bromhead team picked up from other less happy Cheltenham experiences by Sizing Europe, but that race was confined to novices.
Yesterday’s triumph against the very best finally put to bed the memory of the 2008 Champion Hurdle when, between the third-last and second-last flights, Sizing Europe briefly travelled so smoothly he looked like a potential superstar.
But almost as soon as that image was established it dissolved in pain as a mistake at the penultimate jump damaged the horse’s back so much he ended up being beaten almost 100 lengths behind Katchit.
There were times when the idea of getting the handsome son of Pistolet Bleu back to such a peak again looked remote. In 2009, he returned for the Champion Hurdle but couldn’t even run due to a bout of travel sickness.
But the only thing sickened yesterday was his opposition, almost all of which queued up to pass him at the third last, and all of which were unceremoniously seen off.
De Bromhead and Lynch had scored in the cross country event with Sizing Australia on Tuesday and have another couple of runners today which race in the colours of English owner Alan Potts, whose bloodstock investment has taken both men’s careers to another level.
“Alan and Ann Potts have been great supporters – when they joined I’d had just three winners in my first season,” said De Bromhead who is based near Tramore in Co Waterford. “After he crossed the line I turned to some poor man and said, ‘Did Sizing Europe just win the Queen Mother?’ God the horse was good, and Andrew was phenomenal.”
Dublin-based Lynch, renowned as one of the hardest-working jockeys in Ireland, was equalling his 2010 Cheltenham tally of two winners.
“Two rides, two winners – that’s grand!” he grinned. “I thought half-way down the back we weren’t going fast enough and Henry had told me not to be afraid to kick on.
“Turning in, I was still worried we hadn’t gone fast enough, but he stayed on really well. I’ve no doubt he stays three miles. But I suppose now he’s won this, two miles is his best trip.”
Big Zeb threw down the most persistent challenge, but trainer Colm Murphy would have preferred faster ground for his star.
“Barry (Geraghty) said it was very dead. But I’m delighted with the way he ran. And the winner was very good,” he said.
The first and second are likely to clash again at Punchestown where ground conditions could again be crucial.
“Good ground makes such a difference to him, and he’s more relaxed these days. We felt beforehand he might either be dead or in a chilled-out zone,” De Bromhead joked. “We were praying it was chilled!”
Those Cheltenham prayers were answered.
