Murphy to take Sizing Europe ride at Punchestown
Published:Timmy Murphy has landed a plum spare ride on board Sizing Europe for the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival next week.
Connections of the Cheltenham Festival Champion Chase winner were forced to look for a new jockey after regular partner Andrew Lynch was ruled off the ride after a fall at Fairyhouse, which resulted in a broken left wrist and fractured humerus in his right arm.
Sizing Europe is the 2/1 favourite in the Champion Chase betting and Murphy will be hopeful that he can start a winning sequence for connections at the Festival.
Trainer Henry de Bromhead revealed on his website: “It’s a great shame for Andrew as he knows the horse inside out and he’s got on so well with him so far this term.
“We’ve also asked Timmy to deputise on the majority of our runners next week and hopefully he’ll be free to do so.”
The horse will not be totally alien to Murphy as the pair have joined forces on one occasion previously, which led to a victory in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2007.
Meanwhile, Sizing Europe is not the most complicated ride in any case, as he tends to settle well at the front of a field or when asked to bowl along just off the pace.
The one big obstacle standing in the path of Sizing Europe is that he has failed to win on his last three starts at Punchestown.
Big Zeb is the other joint favourite in the Champion Chase odds at 2/1, with Captain Cee Bee valued as the next best at 5/1.
The other runners set to take part include Golden Silver, Tataniano and Jy Vole.
A £30 stake on Sizing Europe winning the Boylesports.com Champion Chase would return £60. New customers can sign up here for a free £30 bet.
