Surprise if Sizing fails to deliver in Tied Cottage
The 11-year-old has won his last four races, three of them this season, and all the indications are that he is as good as ever.
Sizing Europe did all that was required of him on his latest appearance, beating Rubi Light at Leopardstown at Christmas, and it will be more than surprising should he fail to do the business.
Gordon Elliott’s Don Cossack will be on something of a retrieving mission in the other Grade 2 on the card, the Racing UK Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.
The air of invincibility that was starting to surround him was shattered at Navan in December.
He was struggling to hold onto second place when falling at the last behind easy winner, the impressive Pont Alexandre.
Perhaps, he will bounce back now, but preference is for Willie Mullins’ Mozoltov, who is the nap.
Twice successful in bumpers, he created a big impression when landing an ordinary maiden hurdle by a street at Gowran Park and is fancied to take this major step up in class in his stride.
Mullins’ Upazo is preferred to Robert Tyner’s Byerley Babe in the opening Anna Gannon 80th Birthday Maiden Hurdle.
A useful sort in his native France, Upazo has twice finished second over flights in this country, the latest when failing to hold Jennies Jewel at Naas.
Jennies Jewel, however, was in receipt of 8lbs and went on to run a cracker when splitting the Mullins pair, Glens Melody and Zuzka, in a Listed event at Leopardstown last Sunday.
Mullins’ Lambro, who has mixed it with the likes of Flemstar, Last Instalment and Call The Police, is fancied to defy top weight, on his seasonal debut, in the Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase.
A fourth Mullins possibility is Rough Justice in the Bumper, even though he has been rather disappointing on this track and at Leopardstown.
But this doesn’t look the most exacting of assignments and the fact Rough Justice has not had his attentions quickly turned to jumping may be significant.
No fewer than 22 are set to face the starter in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier), but it houses a theoretical certainty in the shape of Ted Walsh’s Colbert Station.
He ran away with the valuable Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown last time, which saw his rating at that game climb to 146. He now reappears off a mark a whopping 27lbs below that and can make a successful return to hurdling.
