The Cheltenham Festival 
/ Timeform / 05 February 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Sizing Europe won the Tied Cottage Chase.
"He should improve for that - he hasn't run since the Tingle Creek..."
Current champion chaser Sizing Europe defeated former champion Big Zeb in the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown...
The Henry de Bromhead-trained 10-year-old dismissed Colm Murphy's 2010 Champion Chase winner with relative ease in what turned into a straight shootout in the Grade Two heat.
Andrew Lynch adopted positive tactics on Sizing Europe and took over from the big outsider Imperial Shabra on jumping the first fence, after which he was never headed.
Big Zeb loomed up, looking briefly threatening between the final two fences, before Lynch kicked clear to settle matters.
Big Zeb had been favourite all week, but there was plenty of confidence in Sizing Europe on course and the pair swopped positions in the market.
Both had met with defeat in the race 12 months ago, when the ill-fated Golden Silver proved successful, but they went on to dominate the finish at Cheltenham two months later.
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 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."
Sizing Europe is currently available at [2.52] to defend his Champion Chase crown, whilst Big Zeb can be backed at [7.8].
Colm Murphy feels Voler La Vedette is better than she showed in defeat behind Zaidpour at Gowran last time out......
Connections of Binocular will have to go back to the drawing board after the abandonment of Saturday's card at Sandown......
The two dominant forces in the two-mile chase division are due to clash in Sunday's Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown......
Sizing Europe won fair and square. The race was in reality a match, and bore no resemblance whatsoever to horse racing Cheltenham Festival in 6 weeks time. SE has a much higher cruising speed than Big Zeb which will always help in a two horse race.
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