McNamara wary of Sublimity threay

Andrew McNamara believes last year’s winner Sublimity will still be the one to beat when Sizing Europe lines up against him in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

Henry De Bromhead’s charge created a huge impression when he won the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and is now clear favourite for the feature race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

It was the first time McNamara had ridden the six-year-old and he only came in for the mount due to the misfortune of other jockeys.

Now he has the ride, he is counting down the days to March 11.

“Denis (O’Regan), Ruby (Walsh), Timmy (Murphy) and I think Mick Darcy had the job up until a couple of weeks ago, so there is a big line of jockeys gone missing,” said McNamara.

“I was lucky to get on him and I’m really looking forward to riding him at Cheltenham.

“I haven’t ridden Sizing Europe since Leopardstown but I’d say I’ll go down to Henry De Bromhead’s some day in the next week or so to sit up on him.

“I suppose Sublimity and maybe Osana are the biggest dangers to him.

“He beat Osana at Cheltenham the last time (Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, November, 2007) but he was getting 6lb off him.

“I’d say if Sublimity is back to the form that he was in when he won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last year, he’ll be the one to beat.”

Sizing Europe is a general 9-4 favourite to wrestle the Champion Hurdle from Sublimity’s grasp.