Sizing Europe set to chase more hurdle glory
The six-year-old burst on the hurdling scene with an imperious performance in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown when he slammed Hardy Eustace by eight lengths.
Sent off the 2-1 favourite for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham six weeks later, he appeared to be travelling ominously well before emptying rapidly and almost pulling up.
He missed the remainder of the campaign with niggling problems and the prospect of sending him over fences had been mooted.
But those plans have now been put on hold.
“We are planning on staying hurdling, at the moment anyhow,” said De Bromhead.
“We’ll give him a couple of runs and see how he goes but he is only six, turning seven. If he’s nearly top-class at that (hurdling) we may as well stay at it, that’s Alan’s (Potts, owner) thought anyway.
“He’s back in now and he’s in great form, he looks amazing so we are delighted with him at the moment.
“Throughout his career he has missed things for various reasons, but it has usually worked out for the best so hopefully the same will be true again.”
Sizing Europe is a top-price 12-1 for the 2009 Champion Hurdle with Ladbrokes, totesport and Coral.
