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Sizing Europe heads Queen Mother betting following Tingle Creek win

Sizing Europe was the star performer of another busy weekend's racing in the UK with next year's Cheltenham Festival in mind. The Henry De Bromhead champion two miler secured his place at the head of the betting for back to back wins in the Queen Mother Champion Chase with a good eight length win in the Tingle Creek at Sandown on Saturday.

With the likes of Finian's Rainbow and Tataniano declared non runners during the week, this didn't look the strongest of renewals despite the inlcusion of last year's Champion Chase winner. In fact, with there being plenty of rain in the build up to the race, Henry De Bromhead's stable star was friendless in the market on the morning of the race before being backed in late doors and eventually sent off the 11/8F.

Approaching the famous Pond Fence at Sandown, Sizing Europe only had one contender and that was the brother of Kauto Star, Kauto Stone, trained by Paul Nicholls who was going for a seventh straight win in the race. Thought to want further, Kauto Stone was confidentally dispatched by the winner who was stepping back in trip to his favourited two miles, following a galant effort in defeat last time out over three miles at Down Royal.

The bookmakers reacted by clipping the nine year old into best price 10/3 for a repeat win in the Queen Mother with Victor Chandler. His nearest opponent in the betting Big Zeb, another former winner of the Champion Chase and is available to back at 4/1 and is the only rival to really stamp his mark on the season with a graded win so far.

Of the other horses to run in the Tingle Creek, it's expected that French import Kauto Stone will be targetted at the two and a half mile Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham next March, which VC Bet have him as 12/1 for success at the Festival. Wishfull Thinking went off like a scolded cat at Sandown before fading badly and despite going off favourite in last season's Jewson Novices' Chase at Cheltenham, you wonder whether he's good enough to win a Graded race in the future.

Elsewhere at Sandown, Al Ferof made it two from two over the big fences by winning the Henry VIII Novice Chase by a neck. This wasn't his best performance and the bookmakers' weren't too keen to cut him for the Arkle where last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner is a general second favourite in behind market leader Peddlers Cross.

Cinders And Ashes was a good winner of the maiden hurdle and the Donald McCain trained four year old is 16/1 with Victor Chandler for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham. Fingal Bay remains ante post favourite for both the Neptune Novices' Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Festival following his win at Sandown on Friday.

Latest Cheltenham Festival Ante Post Betting

Queen Mother Champion Chase Odds

10/3 Sizing Europe; 4/1 Big Zeb; 7/1 Finians Rainbow; 8/1 Captain Chris; 12/1 Noble Prince, Master Minded; 16/1 Realt Dubh; 20/1 BAR

Arkle Chase Odds

7/2 Peddlers Cross; 6/1 Al Ferof; 10/1 Sprinter Sacre, Menorah; 12/1 Spirit Son, Cue Card; 14/1 Poungach, For Non Stop; 16/1 First Lieutenant, Get Me Out Of Here, Thousand Stars, Solwhit; 20/1 BAR

Odds supplied by Victorchandler.com.

Posted: Monday, 5th December 2011
Author: Russell Lloyd
Tags: cheltenham festival, sizing europe, queen mother champion chase, arkle, victor chandler,

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