Cheltenham Festival: On an unrivalled day for the Irish at Cheltenham, Sizing Europe led home an Irish 1-2-3 in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. All three previous races had already been won by Irish-trained horses before Henry de Bromhead's 10-1 shot landed the biggest prize of the day.
Carlito Brigante then added another Irish win in the Coral Cup before What A Charm completed the remarkable sequence with victory in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap. The Irish stranglehold finally relinquished in the finale when the aptly-named Cheltenian won the last race of the day.
In 2008 trainer Henry de Bromhead had arrived in Gloucestershire dreaming of winning the Champion Hurdle with Sizing Europe, but optimism turned to despair when the hot favourite finished tailed off.
He did not even make the meeting the following year but all was forgiven 12 months ago with victory in the Arkle Trophy and this five-length defeat of the reigning champion Big Zeb completed his ascent of the two-mile division.
The 2-1 favourite Master Minded, winner in 2008 and 2009, made a terrible mistake at the second-last when looking beaten and finished eighth. This might not have been his race had things panned out differently, as De Bromhead had been keen on trying Sizing Europe over longer distances and started him off at Down Royal in November, where he was second to Kauto Star.
He would have continued over three miles if the King George had taken place at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day, but a traumatic journey home from the postponed meeting caused the trainer to adjust his plans.
His jockey Andrew Lynch may appear shy out of the saddle but he certainly stands up to be counted in the thick of battle, adopting different tactics to usual by forcing the pace.
At the final bend Sizing Europe had his rivals off the bridle and on an afternoon of total Irish domination, the 10-1 shot led home a one-two-three-four for the Emerald Isle as Captain Cee Bee and Golden Silver claimed the minor places.
De Bromhead, Lynch and owners Alan and Ann Potts had already secured Tuesday’s cross-country race with Sizing Australia.
“He’s like a child to me, he’s just been a wonderful horse and my wife would confirm I spend far more time with him than with anyone else,” said the Co Waterford-based trainer. “We’ve had a lot of very good days and a couple of dodgy ones but today he showed his true self.
“We always said the King George would be our decision-maker over three miles but when that was cancelled at Christmas, we decided he was proven here over two miles from the Arkle so we might as well go for with it. We had a very rough journey back from Kempton and it took a long time to get him right again. He’s really come into himself in the last month.
“Arkle winners have such a great record in the race so we might as well go with it. The ground makes such a difference as he just bounces off quick ground. He was so quiet this morning that I said to his lass he’s either dead or in a very chilled-out zone.
“We were praying it was a chilled-out zone, which it was.”
Big Zeb, who has overcome jumping difficulties, has never finished out of the first two since falling in the 2009 Queen Mother and this was another solid effort. Trainer Colm Murphy said: “He ran a cracker. He could have done with the ground being a bit quicker, but the winner was very good.
“I imagine we will freshen him up and look at Punchestown.”
Captain Cee Bee’s trainer Eddie Harty added: “He ran a blinder, the ground was a bit dead but that would also have been the case for the first two. I think he was beaten by two better horses. He won’t go to Aintree, but Punchestown is a possibility.”
Paul Nicholls has some thinking to do with Master Minded and reported: “He made a bad mistake but he wouldn’t have won, and like last year I think the ground was too quick.
“On that performance you would have to say he is not as good as he was, these days he might be better over two and a half miles. We will look at Aintree and next year I suspect we will end up in the King George.”
3.20 Queen Mother Champion Chase
1 Sizing Europe (A E Lynch) 10-1
2 Big Zeb (B J Geraghty) 3-1
3 Captain Cee Bee (A P McCoy) 14-1
11 ran
Also: 2-1 Fav Master Minded, 11-1 Golden Silver 4th