Road to the Champion Chase 2011

BZ was probably a good winner of a QM. Sizing is 'potentially' a very good winner of a QM. A top top class winner of this race (Moscow Flyer) wouldn't need race condition run ideally in his favour for him to win, his class would be enough to tell
 
Unless I am mistaken, the horses have met twice.

At Punchestown, when Sizing Europe was beaten by 7l in January.
Last week, when Big Zeb was beaten by 5l.

I think that Sizing Europe is probably the better horse, but he hasn't proven it conclusively to me, given the pace of the race last week.
 
You can't be serious counting that race! It was a prep for Sizing Europe, nothing more. Even I, when against the horse, didn't count that race.
 
Marble said:
He was there from the outset, and galloped them all into the ground. Could the time anaylises the guys have given not simply be a case of Sizing Europe going a more even and consistently fast winning pace, which you would do if you near enough made all as he did, rather than perhaps a previous Champion Chase winner like Master Minded in the past who has possibly run faster because he's travelled so smooth for 12F before really turning up the heat for the final 4F as I think Master Minded is best at. Unless there is another Master Minded who can do that in the near future Sizing will be a tough nut to crack.
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Could EC1 or any other time guru's could let an amateur like me know if the above theory is true?

Basically, how can you run a blistering time being handy all the time (as Sizing Europe was) over 2 miles in a race like the CC?
 
LUKE said:
Master Minded was inconvenienced by not being good enough on the day.
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Yes - exactly like Big Zeb .:rolleyes:

It was an unusually sedate gallop but that didn't suit Sizing Europe either I reckon !
 
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I've never been a fan of Sizing but i'm convinced now - Few more years on his back has given him the extra constitution he needed to see out a strongly run 2 miles.

Big Zeb deserves credit though and is the older horse and so may be slightly worse than last year.
 
I know someone is talking there about Somersby lieing up...and I'm not saying that the comments about the pace were wrong - but it was made clear enough on day from a few pundits that they were changing tactics with Somersby and wanted him racing prominent..
 
Hamm said:
It would do Cantoris no harm to say the best horse won.
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Ah don't be silly :lol:

When McCoy took the mount on Brave Inca, he said one thing about Hardy Eustace, "engage him early and break his heart".

I think Sizing Europe was a good winner of the race. I said that earlier in the thread. But you could argue that the reason he turned around the form was because Geraghty engaged him early in Punchestown, whereas he didn't in Cheltenham. I think SE has more gears than BZ, that's why he beat him in a novice hurdle at Punchestown. What Zeb needs is an end to end gallop and he did not get that last week. We all know that Sizing Europe can power away over a few furlongs (Irish Champion win) and does not lack gears. I just wish something had made it a strong pace, whether Zeb or something else.
 
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