Smooth success for Sizing Europe in Clonmel Oil Chase

Sizing Europe: Kempton bound?

Sizing Europe produced a dominant display to book a possible trip to next month's King George VI Chase at Kempton by taking the Clonmel Oil Chase under Andrew Lynch.

The former Champion Chase hero could now move back up to three miles after cantering home at 1/7 in the Grade Two contest on his first visit to the track. Magnanimity finished 20 lengths adrift in second place.

"He was really good. When we turned the back straight he just took off. He was very good, he jumped super, and he was running away with me most of the way," Lynch told At The Races.

"That was two and a half miles and he wasn't stopping, but he shows so much speed that you could go back to two with him. He's going to have a lot of options."

Winning trainer Henry de Bromhead was non-committal over future plans, but clearly pleased to have sidestepped other possible recent targets where the ground was deemed too slow.

"I was delighted with the performance. We had agreed that we wouldn't try three miles again unless the ground was good and we're pleased we stuck with the decision," he said.

"I thought he was just awesome. He jumped brilliant and he was running away down the hill.

"He's entered in the King George. He'll be entered in the Lexus and we'll also enter him in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet over two miles. We'll just see how the season unfolds. He's a very adaptable horse."