Sizing Europe survives scare to win Punchestown feature

Sizing Europe: Won fourth race of the season

Sizing Europe landed odds of 1/8 in the Boylesports.com Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown - although not without something of a scare.

Things looked straightforward for the market leader when his rivals gifted him a ten lengths lead at the start but by the third last Foildubh (9/1) had moved into his slipstream.

Paul Carberry had yet to ask the eventual runner-up a question at that stage but just as Sizing Europe hit 30/100 in running, he picked up and put the race to bed.

Andrew Lynch punched Henry de Bromhead's stable star out to the line in the desperate ground to eventually score comfortably.

De Bromhead said: "It was a bit of a slog and he did what he had to do. He just looked very idle on ground that he wouldn't be mad about and his jumping was OK."

Sizing Europe holds three entries at Cheltenham in March, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase and Betfred Gold Cup, and De Bromhead said: "It hasn't really made any difference to where we'll go at Cheltenham - I'd say the Gold Cup is the outsider of the three options and we'll just see how everything unfolds.

"His most impressive win this year was probably the two-mile-four Clonmel Oil Chase."

Lynch told At The Races: "It's hard to go out and make the running on that ground. It's horrible tacky ground. He was just popping away, but he's done it well enough."I had a quick look going to the second-last and I knew Paul (Carberry, on Foildubh) was there, but once I got hold of my lad he picked up and went away. He's done it well. He was out on his own and when I did give him a kick he came up which was nice."

Sky Bet left the winner unchanged for both the Champion Chase and Ryanair at Cheltenham and spokesman Michael Shinners said: "We obviously didn't learn a great deal today but with Sprinter Sacre looking so good this season, the Ryanair could be the more winnable race for Sizing Europe."