Irish Weekend Preview: Sizing up Punchestown on Sunday

Sizing Europe will be in action in the Tied Cottage Chase

Phil Thompson takes a look at Punchestown's high-quality card on Sunday, which features a certain former Champion Chase winner.

The news that Fairyhouse's scheduled meeting on Saturday has failed to beat the weather means that we only have Punchestown to look forward to this weekend, but National Hunt fans need not worry as the card is surely high enough in quality to satisfy all appetites.

The feature race on Sunday is the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase in which the remarkable Sizing Europe will attempt to become only the second horse to win the race on two occasions and the first to do so in consecutive years. This is likely to be Sizing Europe's last run before the Cheltenham Festival in March and, while the likely heavy going is not ideal, he has looked as good as ever in winning all three of his outings this season and he is expected to have little trouble in seeing off main rivals Blazing Tempo and Foildubh if anywhere near his best.

The only other horse to win the Tied Cottage chase on two occasions was the great Moscow Flyer and the race named in his honour, the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novices' Hurdle is the main supporting event on Sunday. The race should also provide a number of clues with regards to the upcoming major festivals, as the highly-regarded Don Cossack aims to get his career back on track after a below-par effort in the Grade 1 Navan Novice Hurdle last time in which he took a nasty fall at the last when looking held in second behind Pont Alexandre. Don Cossak comes out clear top on Timeform adjusted ratings on 163+, but the race is by no means a penalty kick, with four of the remaining five runners open to improvement over hurdles, namely the exciting Ned Buntline (150p) and smart bumper performer Mozoltov (145p).

The Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase was moved from Fairyhouse's ill-fated meeting onto Punchestown's card earlier this week and last year's Cheltenham and Punchestown Festival hurdles winner Alderwood is fancied to go well on his handicap chase debut after getting of the mark in this sphere at Navan last time. Another handicap that takes the eye is the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier and it looks an interesting event, with unexposed pair of Royale Reveille and Fahamore likely to prove popular with punters.

Finally, on a card that truly caters to all sorts, there is the Michael Fitzpatrick Memorial Grand National Trial Handicap Chase for those looking for early clues for the Irish Grand National and the Glenfarclas P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase, in which usual suspects Arabella Boy, Sizing Australia and Uncle Junior will be in action, along with former Grade-1 performer Bostons Angel.