Super Sizing lands Tied Cottage
Sizing Europe put up a sizzling performance to win his match-up with Big Zeb in the Boylesports.com Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown.
Imperial Shabra, the outsider of the three runners, led from the off but Andrew Lynch wasn't prepared to hang about and sent Sizing Europe to the front jumping the second fence and proceeded to make it a proper test as the two big guns staged their Cheltenham Festival prep.
Big Zeb was never too far away, but he couldn't raise his game when Sizing Europe (9-10 favourite) picked up between the final two fences and by the line Henry de Bromhead's star was 15 lengths clear.
Lynch said: "He's done it well. The plan was to go out and enjoy it and use his jumping. I wanted to use his big stride and though the ground was tacky, he's getting stronger now and handles it better. He should improve for that - he hasn't run since the Tingle Creek."
A disappointed Colm Murphy said of Big Zeb: "Robbie Power was never happy with him today - he said he was always niggling just to keep in touch. In fairness, the winner was very good - he's gone a proper gallop on heavy ground.
"We'll improve for the run, but we'll have to. Robbie said he was beat before the first fence. It was always a worry running on that ground, it was proper testing. Cheltenham is still the plan."
5 February 2012
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