Europe sizes up older brigade

Henry de Bromhead’s Arkle winner Sizing Europe will face 10 rivals as he tackles more experienced horses in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.

The eight-year-old is unbeaten over fences since making his debut in May, and held on in determined fashion at Cheltenham as Somersby closed him down close home.

His handler has taken the bold move of stepping him up to face the best two-milers in the business, rather than keep him to novice company.

Among the high-class opposition is Tom Cooper’s Forpadydeplasterer, second in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and again at Aintree over two and a half miles.

He also won last year’s Arkle, his only victory in his last nine starts which have yielded eight second-place finishes.

Paul Nicholls runs Twist Magic, winner of the Tingle Creek and Victor Chandler Chase this season and also successful in this contest in 2008.

The other British raiders are Ferdy Murphy’s Kalahari King, an early casualty at Aintree having finished third in the Queen Mother, and the Nick Williams-trained Cornas.

Willie Mullins runs three – Barker, Scotsirish and Golden Silver – while James Lambe is responsible for 2008 runner-up Natal, a former Nicholls inmate.

Gordon Elliott lets Salford City take his chance, with Colm Murphy relying upon Don’t Be Bitin in the absence of Big Zeb.