Sizing Sees Off Big Zeb

We knew it would be a very tight contest between Sizing Europe and Big Zeb in the Boylesports.com Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday 5th Feb 2012, or at least we hoped it would be but despite the impressive recent form of Big Zeb, his chief competitor for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival, absolutely smashed it and romped home with a staggering 15 lengths to spare.

In their final race before Cheltenham, the two went head-to-head in an eagerly anticipated race. Their domination had unfortunately meant that other trainers basically didn’t bother to enter their charges so it ended up being a three horse race on fairly heavy mucky ground.

Sizing Europe, with Andrew Lynch on board, went off as 9/10f with the bookies with Big Zeb on evens so there wasn’t really much in it but from the outset Sizing Europe took the lead and that’s where he stayed until he crossed the winning post.

With five furlongs to go there was still only two lengths in it and as they approached the final fence that cap had narrowed even more to only one length. And then Sizing Europe took off leaving Big Zeb trailing in his wake – it went from only one length to 10 in a matter of seconds solidifying Sizing Europe as the Champion Chase favourite.

Big Zeb just didn’t seem to have anything in the tank to keep up and that has led the bookies to re-think his ante-post odds dramatically, behind Finians Rainbow, to put him in third place on the board.

Maybe it was all a strategic ploy and they only wanted to give Big Zeb a run out. Don’t right him off just yet, because as we know, nothing ever really goes to plan at Cheltenham which is where it counts!