Sizing Europe

ArkleSupreme said:
Flyingbolt went close to doing that particular double in the same year in 1966 when third behind Salmon Spray having won the Champion 2 mile chase in a hack canter by 15 lengths the day before !

No horse has done so otherwise,though I dare say if Istabraq had not been around Moscow Flyer could have.
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If that years Cheltenham had of gone ahead, he very well may have, Istabraq or not
 
as i said in the king george thread. so many good horses stuck between that champion chase and gold cup trip, and also scared of taking on ss, will make the ryanair probably the best race of the meeting.
 
Nice to hear.

Sizing Europe has been a slow-burner for me. I was never remotely near as convinced about that AIG run as most people - soft race, in my view - and I personally believe he was not right in the Champion Hurdle. For all that he travelled well that day, he emptied almost immediately at the foot of the hill.....and whilst the back-injury theory is plausible, David Casey had reported at a preview (my post may still be in TRF archives somewhere) a week before the race, that one of de Bromhead's he'd been galloping that day had "stopped like it'd been shot". OK, this is my own personal conspiracy theory, but the descriptions before and aft, still lead me to believe that it has substance.

Regardless, a horse with a back-injury that goes on to jump fences as well as SE does, has self-evidently left said back-injury well behind, and I don't think this is in anyway a factor in what he has achieved as a chaser. In my view, he was almost-certainly better over fences than he was over hurdles (though possibly not by a great deal).

For my money, history will show that his run behind Sacre in March, was just as good - and probably better - than his win in the Champion Chase two years previously. Despite the fact that he could throw-out the odd peculiar under-par effort, these were mainly under less-than-deal conditions, and he was otherwise thoroughly genuine; with class to match. HdH has campaigned his charge stoutly-enough over the years, and it was in keeping with the horse's character, that he was one of the few who chose to face-down the Aeroplane at Cheltenham, where he ran with an enormous amount of credit, on my reading of the form. There are great similarities between him, and his near contemporary Moscow Flyer; save for the fact that the latter was clearly a deal better as a chaser.

Sizing Europe is a horse I've warmed too over the last couple of seasons, and he is the type of chaser to be celebrated. An absolute credit to connections.
 
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Agreed. That Leopardstown Hurdle performance looked freakish.
His Arkle was run at a ferocious pace after a relatively slow Supreme Novice Hurdle that same day which helped his cause.
His 2 mile Chase win on the modified track showed the mistake it was to give a good horse a soft lead down the hill on the track, a mistake Nicky H made sure would not be repeated the following year .
Most horses have one or maybe two good seasons; that this horse is around since 2005-06 season says it all! A credit to all concerned.
 
only horse so far to get sprinter right off the bridle over fences as well (cue card did manage it briefly in the arkle)
 
Nice race that. Must admit I thought Rubi Light had "gone" last season.

Baily Green was overpriced there and I had a sneaky place bet on him at 2/1 (is it after timing if I tweeted it??) like that horse a lot.
 
With Simonsig out for the season he appeals at 16/1 for the Ryanair. Any word on this race being a definite target Patrick?

I ask as you're his biggest fanboy;)
 
Euronymous said:
With Simonsig out for the season he appeals at 16/1 for the Ryanair. Any word on this race being a definite target Patrick?

I ask as you're his biggest fanboy;)
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The last public statement on him from HDB was that the Ryanair was his target. Arvika will be a good indicator of where he stands next week

DebROM said he was flying midweek to the press and would put it up to the young guns
 
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"Europe is in super form. He'll have the two entries in Cheltenham and we'll see which way we go nearer the time.

"I don't think there were any excuses for his last run. He was beaten fair and square on the day.

"I think I probably got the tactics a bit wrong, but he came out of the race well. We know he loves Cheltenham and better ground. I don't think he'll have another run before Cheltenham. We'll get him there nice and fresh and see how he goes."
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Classy horse. Would appear father time is lurking. If SS doesn't turn up then think connections will surely reroute him back to the Queen Mother. Would surely go close against this lot even if he's not quite the force of old.
 
They probably did get tactics wrong the last day but time waits on no man or horse. At this stage, I just hope he retires safe and sound *

*somehow wins Ryanair
 
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