Sizing Europe gold cup

As far as i know connections have given up on the idea
Another tilt at QMCC is the plan

im sure they havnt made there mind up yet! i was under the impression that this horse ould step up in trip early season to see how things go and decide from there

I think they may try the  king george - see if he stays there, If not, bring him back. This is what they tried last yr. They were desperate to run him, had him over here i believe, but when it was rearranged, decided not to bring him back. I would not be surprised if he was not stepped up in softish races, tried in the King George, then a decision taken.

Maybe. The horse can clearly cope with all the messing about, and de Bromhead is clearly a master at training them to the day.

I always thought 2m was the limit of his stamina over hurdles, I know they can stay a bit further over fences
but 3m 2f? I'd be very surprised if he stayed 3m at kempton let alone further at cheltenham.
Good luck anyway.

if any of them could shake up the gold cup betting its him and master minded top class the pair of them although doubtful syayers imo

They will aim him at the Gold Cup, won't stay

thanks for spoiling the season for us bluebird

Henry de Bromhead is not ruling out a return to three miles for his Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Sizing Europe.

The nine-year-old produced a superb round of jumping to secure his second Cheltenham Festival victory in March, following on from his Arkle success 12 months earlier.

At the start of last season Sizing Europe was tried over staying trips, notably finishing second to the great Kauto Star at Down Royal, and he made the trip to Kempton for the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day only for racing to be abandoned.

Connections decided afterwards to return to two miles for the remainder of the campaign, but that will not necessarily remain the case this season.

"He's in great form and we're looking forward to getting him started again," said De Bromhead.

"I'm not sure what way we're going with him just yet. We're in the process of discussing it at the moment.

"Two miles, two and a half miles and maybe three miles - we just don't know is all I can say at the moment.

"We have a few options regarding where he starts off. There is a two-and-a-half mile Grade Two at Gowran Park in October we could look at, or there is the two-mile seven-furlong race in Punchestown we started him off in last year.

"We'll just have to see what happens."

Henry de Bromhead is looking forward to giving Sizing Europe his first run of the season at Gowran Park on Saturday week.

The Queen Mother Champion Champion Chase winner is to begin the new campaign in the Grade Two Gowran Park Champion Chase over two and a half miles.

What happens in that race is likely to help De Bromhead decide on plans for the winter.

"Hopefully we'll start him off in Gowran next Saturday," the County Waterford handler told At The Races.

"He seems in good form and he's schooling well, so we'll start him off in the Grade Two two-and-a-half-mile chase there.

"We'll see how we get on there and make plans from there.

"We'll keep all our options open. We'll start in Gowran, see how we get on there, and then progress from there.

"He's a very adaptable horse."

Like R Carver I think they will go for the KG and depending how that goes will decide on which route he takes

Like SE as a horse but GC is a joke - complete and utter. Somersby stayed all over it in the Arkle to get so close and he doesn't stay GC trip so what makes anyone think SE will get 3 miles let alone 3 1/4 at Chelt in what is normally a truly run race.

Its gonna be the QM again 100% presuming it gets to Chelt whatever they try in the interim. The horses strength is its jumping at speed and the way it travels. Be horrible to see SE just be too keen in the GC and fold on the last mile and get PU - such a waste IMO.

Agree with that, I can't see him running in any other race other than the QM if he gets to Cheltenham. Reading between the lines of the trainers comments, he's just keeping on the right side of the owner, making out it's still to be discussed. It was the owner who wanted to go down the 3mile route last season if I recall and not the trainer.

last 2 comments spot on.
Absolute madness not to run in QM.No way from what i have seen that SE could stay 3m2f round Cheltenham.
Plus he was one of the most impressive QM winners that i have seen.
No brainer,as they say!!

Just texting if this tag works.

Just texting if this tag works.

MVP]How about like this?[/quote wrote:

How about like this?

MVP]That was a train wreck, how about this one?

"MVP"]A hatrick of f-ups or will this be a good'un?[/quote wrote:

A hatrick of f-ups or will this be a good'un?

That will be all [smiley:crazy]

Its a no brainer for me Sizing should defend his Championship dont see him staying the GC distance but the KG on boxing day would be interesting,although backed him ante post for Kempton last year so 3m on a flat track fine,GC at Cheltenham cant really see itso back to retain the 2m crown please Henry.

i think sizing europe would have a great chance of winning the gold cup. his best run last year before the queen mother was when he was second to kauto star at down royal on soft ground. this horse is a stone better at cheltenham than anywhere else especially on good ground. he travels like a dream there and conserves his energy. will be 10 next year so it will be his last chance.

Rubi Light will turn him over tomorrow imo

I agree snaff, will love the ground, he jumps and travels great and is improving.

Rubi Light is definitely one to keep on the right side of this year.

I've backed him for the Gold Cup on here, and ew at 50's with Sid James.  Also, on here, I tried to put on £5 at 140 on him months ago; 3p of it was matched Therefore, on Rubi Lights chart, that massive spike at 140 is the weight of my 3p, and when he wins I'll be collecting my £4.17!

For Sizing Europe, running the in Gold Cup is madness.  I think this year's Gold Cup looks stronger than last year, with some up and coming younger horses.  There isn't much strength in depth to the Queen Mum and he'd obviously have a much better chance in that, although I don't think I'll be backing him in that either.

Very lucky win for SE,as i said before not a hope in hell he's staying 3m 2f around Cheltenham,connections are crazy if they train him for the Gold Cup,
Really like the look of Rubi Light though,and wouldnt surprise me  if he's a genuine GC Contender come march,lovely big horse

Sizing would have probably needed the run, got beat at short odds fto last year too

Rubi Light is very useful also

apologies, I know he didn't lose ffs

looked like losing though

Indeed. But de Bromhead trains them to the moment and that moment wasn't today.

Rubi Light is going to mop up those 2m - 2m6f Grade 2's and 3's run on heavy every other weekend in Ireland over the winter and he could be a major player at the festivals, what a great horse he must be to own, the Hennessey's deserve it given how much they've put in.

I think a mmistake if anyone reads too much into that run from Sizing, as FFT and STrontium say, yesterdary was about blowing the cobwebs off. He'll be trained IMo for 2 races - the King George and something at the Fextival (determined by whether he appears to stay at Kempton). IMO he will not be at his very best over a trip at Kempton so they will drop him back for March. Magnificent horse, would be great if he did stay, would be great seeing him put up a big race. Rubi Light looks lovely.

neil - plenty of competition in those races mate to say mopping up

big zeb
realt dubh
golden silver
sizing europe
noble prince
captain cee bee

have a look at the race again lads,he was nearly beaten by Coolcashin in the end,another few strides and he would have been!

There are so many of those races thought that he can win plenty I'd think, we have a lot of graded races over here, 4/6 you mentioned were around for those last season and there were still plenty of soft races, they are all also a year older and bar GS don't handle that ground as well as RL

Rubi Light looks like he will enjoy further IMO, travelled like a machine (much like IC with low head carriage), i backed SE but feel RL has to be stepped up to 3m and looks a decent prospect for GC

personally i'd like to see him defend his queen mother

Anyone heard any more news on SE??,like have the owners seen sense yet and finally realised that the Gold Cup is a pipe dream,and that the QM is the way to go?

If they aim him at the GC, I genuinaly think that will be one of the worst decisions I've ever seen for a top class horse.

I think he has aboslutely no chance of staying the trip, and has proven himself a really top class 2miler. If it aint broke dont fix it etc. Would take a hell of a lot of beating in the QM again.

Entered in the 3 m Grade 1 at Down Royal on Saturday, so presumably they haven't given up on the idea yet.

However, the horse has shown he can deal with an odd preparation for the QMCC!

he has indeed,maybe thats the plan,let him think he has to go 3m,and then surprise him,and hes so happy to be going his right distance that he puts in a display that he did in March!!

Well it worked last year And HdeB is clearly a master at having his horses pot on for the big day, so I don't think it much matters where he runs now (or February for that matter).

Roll on NRNB

love to take 5/1,but the owner worries me.

Imagine 5 nrnb,what a stonking bet that would be.

now they can forget the Gold Cup

Sizing Europe has been the yard’s flagship horse and he ran another tremendous race at Down Royal last weekend.
Headed close home by Quito De La Roque, [u][b]he is expected to drop back in trip for the remainder of the season.

Sandown in the Tingle Creek Chase next !


End of Thread.

That's more like it.

yep

+ not entrered for the King George

Sandown in the Tingle Creek Chase next !

Will look forward to that :D

Champion Chase hero Sizing Europe remains on course for next month's Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown ahead of the defence of his Cheltenham crown.

Henry de Bromhead's pride and joy produced a brilliant performance to win the Tingle Creek at Sandown at the start of December and has since been given a mid-winter break.
But the 10-year-old's Festival preparations will soon be stepped up a notch, taking in a trip to Punchestown on February 5 along the way.

"He's in good form and we backed off him after Sandown to give him a nice break over Christmas," said the Knockeen handler.
"We're starting to build him back up again now and we're aiming towards the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown.
"All going well there, he'll be going back to Cheltenham for the Champion Chase."
De Bromhead has admitted in the past that he would love to have another crack at three miles with his charge on a decent surface, with the gelding having only wilted close home over that distance in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal earlier this season.

But for the moment at least, the trainer is not looking beyond the Champion Chase.
"We'll just have to see what happens. At the moment I'm focussing on Cheltenham and nothing else," De Bromhead added.

Entries for the following 3 races at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival close in Ireland by 12 noon on MONDAY 9th JANUARY:-

The sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion S'chase
The Ryanair S'chase

The Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup