Racing:Sizing Europe held off Realt Dubh to win the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown on the opening day of the national hunt festival.
Henry de Bromhead’s 8-13 favourite had to dig really deep in the closing stages in the testing ground as the runner-up threw down a persistent challenge on the run to the last fence.
A good jump there gave the eventual winner a handy advantage which he held up the run-in to claim the Grade One prize from the brave runner-up by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Old rival Big Zeb loomed into contention three from home but had no more to give up the straight and kept on for the third place.
De Bromhead said: “The ground is testing enough and they are finishing tired. Realt Dubh was bearing down on us there at the last and I was getting a bit nervous, but in fairness our lad ground it out and we’re delighted.
“He jumped great. Out of that ground he is never going to jump with the same exuberance he does on better ground, but he went and did the job.”
The trainer is not ruling out stepping his charge back up in distance at some stage.
He has finished second in the last two renewals of the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal over three miles.
“I’ve no idea what we'll do at this stage. We're just going to enjoy today and we'll discuss things with Alan and Ann (Potts, owners) over the summer,” De Bromhead added.
“He’s had an unbelievable season and we'll mull it over and see. He’ll be 11 this time next year, so he’s getting older. Maybe we'll step him up again, we'll see.”
Sir Des Champs (2-7 favourite) kept his unbeaten record in a dramatic Grade One Growise Champion Novice Chase.
The six-year-old jumped accurately all the way round at the head of affairs under Davy Russell and began to turn the screw on his rivals turning for home.
He was in full command at the last fence but a bad blunder almost shot Russell over his head although the rider was able to recover well as they went on to score by 36 lengths.
That would have been far less but for even more trouble in behind at the last as the pursuing Mossy Joe took a crashing fall and brought down Frisco Depot. That left Shop DJ (18-1) to claim a fortunate second place.
Mullins said: "Davy did very well to stay on and the horse was lucky enough to stand up. He was doing it well before that and we've always thought a bit about him.
“That’s his first Grade One so hopefully we can keep him sound and keep him right for next season.
“He’s one of the best novice prospects I’ve ever had, but we didn’t campaign him big. We just kept him down the country, but it's worked out nicely.”
Alderwood and Tony McCoy beat Trifolium in another stirring finish in the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.
McCoy was seen at his strongest to get the progressive Thomas Mullins-trained eight-year-old up close home.
Trifolium and Russell had looked by the far the most likely winners as they went a couple of lengths clear at the final flight but McCoy still had something to say as he galvanised his mount.
He gradually got on top on the run to the line as they prevailed by half-a-length from the 4-7 market leader.
Winning owner JP McManus said: “I thought he had it all to do when Trifolium passed him, but he battled on well and he’s a good, tough sort.”
Mullins warned that the plan at this stage, however, would be to send his charge novice chasing next season.
Mullins said: "We put him away last September as he was crying out for a break and we just decided we'd put him away for the festivals.
"The main one was Cheltenham and that came off, so anything that happened after that was a bonus. This is absolutely out of this world. At the moment, there is no change from going the chasing route.
“We’ll all put our heads together, but anyone that rides him says he’ll make a lovely chaser.”
McCoy said: “He’s improving for winning. I think he’s got a lot of confidence from winning races and he’s improving mentally as much as physically.
“This fellow loves to jump and goes on any ground. He keeps responding and has a great will to win. I knew he’d stay it out well.”