Sizing trainer keeps faith

Trainer Henry de Bromhead is keeping faith with Sizing Europe despite another disappointing performance behind Sublimity over Christmas.

The seven-year-old weakened into fifth in the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown despite travelling ominously well throughout, the third time in a row he has failed to see out his race.

But de Bromhead believes there is nothing physically wrong with the horse and is backing him to return to the form that saw him trounce his rivals in the AIG Champion Hurdle last January.

"He seems OK. He was sore the morning before the race but I'm not going to make excuses for him anymore, I'm going to let him do the talking," said De Bromhead.

"I know he loves a fast pace and when you have eight horses bunched up at the second-last it was set up for the speed horses so he needs a faster gallop.

"When he won the AIG Conor O'Dwyer said he had never been as fast on Hardy Eustace and our lad was lobbing along, he doesn't quicken he's just a relentless galloper.

"Everyone has their own opinion about the horse and I have mine and hopefully it will come right with him in time.

"I love the horse, I'm his biggest fan but sometimes you can have a subjective opinion of something and be proved wrong," he told At the Races.