“If you see someone running around naked, it will probably be me”
“Four years ago we were trying to work out just how to have a winner”, smiles de Bromhead. “It had gone quiet, I kept selling young horses, it just wasn’t right. But we changed a few things and there has been a big turnaround”.
The 35 year-old Waterford handler, took over the licence from his father, Harry, on January 1, 2000. He wasn’t an instant success and, it is probably fair to say, was regarded as a journeyman trainer until Sizing Europe launched his career big-time.
Sizing Europe is owned by self-made multi-millionaire inventor and engineer, Englishman Alan Potts. He first made contact with de Bromhead when attempting to buy one of his horses, Oscar India. de Bromhead indicated that might not be a good idea, as Oscar India had tendon trouble.
Such honesty impressed Potts and he proceeded to buy 13 horses, gave them all to de Bromhead and among the batch was Sizing Europe.
de Bromhead has already packed a lot into his young life and has worked for Mark Prescott and Robert Alner in England and at home for Coolmore and Derrinstown Studs, as well as Ron Shaw.
“I also watched my father training and have learnt something everywhere I went”, he said.
He was assistant to Prescott, who was probably the greatest influence on him. “In thirty years of training, Mark never had more than 50 horses. It is a lot of hassle after that and I am far more interested in quality rather than quantity. I like to give horses individual attention”.
At the moment he has 37 in his care. “We have put in for planning permission for ten more stables and that will be it, I do not intend to ever go over 50”.
de Bromhead was always destined to train. “I looked at other aspects of racing to see if there were easier ways of making money. But it is unbelievable to train a winner, there’s so much work involved, so much luck and such a wonderful buzz”.
Sizing Europe is far and away the best horse he has ever had and confesses to being “stunned” by his performance when winning the AIG at Leopardstown in January by eight lengths.
He went into that contest rated 19lbs inferior to Hardy Eustace and 17lbs adrift of El Eile. The six-year-old proceeded to destroy both of them and was immediately catapulted to the head of the Champion Hurdle market.
“He was brilliant, I was amazed at the way he won the AIG”, admitted de Bromhead. “I was just hoping he would run respectably against Hardy Eustace and Al Aile.
“I was hoping he would be in the first three and, with that race under his belt, it would set him up nicely for Cheltenham.”
Sizing Europe has given every satisfaction since Leopardstown.
“His work has been good, he is in good form”, reported de Bromhead. “He is not a spectacular worker at home, he just does enough. I know Brave Inca was the same and Hardy Eustace was lazy at home as well. It is extraordinary the number of good horses who are like that.
“He is very relaxed, but does get buzzed up when going to the races. It is not a problem, he just gets on his toes and comes alive.”
Sizing Europe was bought as a prospective chaser and the fact that he travels to Cheltenham as a live possibility for the Champion Hurdle is a big bonus.
“The plan is to go chasing next season”, confirmed de Bromhead. “But, of course, it’s not up to me, that will be a matter for Alan. When John Francome came to the yard for Channel 4 recently he rode Sizing Europe and said he gave him the impression of being more of a Gold Cup horse than a Champion hurdler.
“He still thinks he has a great chance in the Champion Hurdle. John did compare him to Looks Like Trouble and that worried me slightly. But I felt better when he said Looks Like Trouble was the best horse he has ever sat on.”
Fifteen years ago de Bromhead’s father, Harry, trained Fissure Seal to land the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle at the Festival.
“I was there, I travelled over with the horse”, recalled Henry. “It was unreal, the ride Charlie (Swan) gave him. It was great for dad and for all of us. Dad is still very active and involved in the yard. He will never force his opinions on you, but will give his view if asked.”
How will Henry de Bromhead react if Sizing Europe follows Fissure Seal into the winner’s enclosure?
“I have no idea, but if you see someone running around naked, it will probably be me.”
