SIZING UP THE STARS AT PUNCHESTOWN: Irish racing returns with a superb eight race feast at Punchestown today where Sizing Europe is the star of the show.


It’s the feast after the famine.

After being starved of racing in the last fortnight we are back with a bang today at Punchestown for an eight race card which includes the Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase scheduled to be run at Fairyhouse yesterday.

No prizes for naming the star of the show, Sizing Europe, but no prizes for backing him either – he is currently 1.15 on BETDAQ to repeat his success of last year in the Tied Cottage Chase and seems as well as ever this season.

Jockey Andrew Lynch said: “Every time you get on him it’s always a good day and hopefully everything goes to plan. You can’t not look forward to riding a horse like him and obviously, if everything goes well, he’s going to take a bit of beating hopefully.”

Should he win as fully expected, talk will soon switch to which Cheltenham Festival race Sizing Europe should be aimed for.

He is entered in the Champion Chase, the Ryanair Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup but Lynch believes no decision will be made until the likely ground conditions at Prestbury Park become clear.

I’d be nervous about backing Don Cossack at short odds in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at 1.20. He was well held before falling at the last in the race won by the hugely promising Pont Alexandre at Navan but hadn’t jumped well in the race and was disappointing before the fall. At the prices I’m a layer.

Willie Mullins has short priced favourites in the opening and final races on the card and for the nap I look to Upazo in the 12.50. His two defeats this term have been at the hands of two promising horses and he may outclass chief market rival Byerley Babe.

SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: Upazo (12.50 Punchestown)
LAY: Don Cossack (1.20 Punchestown)


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