RACING NEWS ROUND-UP:A MOUTH-WATERING pre-Cheltenham clash between Big Zeb and Sizing Europe will go ahead at Punchestown on Sunday.

Both horses feature among an entry of seven for the Grade Two Boylesports Tied Cottage Chase after yesterday’s forfeit stage and Golden Silver will be another Grade One star in the mix for the €40,000 weekend feature.

Sizing Europe’s presence adds an extra dimension to the Tied Cottage which Big Zeb won last year on route to landing the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

He is currently a general 3 to 1 second favourite to retain his crown in March but Sizing Europe has a range of festival options ranging from the two mile crown to the Gold Cup over three and a quarter miles.

His trainer, Henry De Bromhead, is determined to keep his Cheltenham options open and ruled out a tilt at Sunday week’s Hennessy in case Sizing Europe endured too hard a race so close to the festival.

“Sizing hasn’t had a run since the JN Wine Chase at Down Royal and he is fresh and well. We are looking forward to getting a run into him on Sunday because it is a course he likes and may give us an indication of where to aim next.

“At present we are keeping our options open,” said De Bromhead yesterday.

Sunday’s race has been Big Zeb’s target since winning the Dial-A-Bet at Leopardstown over Christmas and trainer Colm Murphy is happy with his stable star’s progress this season.

“Last year a couple of things didn’t go to plan so we felt we were playing catch-up in our preparation but this time around I’m pleased with the way things are going. Big Zeb has been in great form and we couldn’t be happier.

“We will pop him over a few schooling fences today and fingers crossed, he will run well on Sunday,” he said yesterday.

Willie Mullins has three Tied Cottage entries headed by Golden Silver who has been beaten twice by Big Zeb this season but who won the Hilly Way Chase at Fairyhouse on his last start.

Scotsirish and J’y Vole are the other Mullins contenders.

Big Zeb has been installed an 11 to 10 favourite for Sunday’s race by the sponsors with Golden Silver on 11 to 4 and Sizing Europe rated a 4 to 1 shot.

Dermot Weld has left his Grade One bumper winner Hidden Universe in the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle and the horse that won his sole jumping start to date at Leopardstown last month could secure a trip to Cheltenham if successful.

Hidden Universe is currently as low as 10 to 1 for the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the festival and could face up to nine opponents in Sunday’s two mile contest.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Pride Of Dulcote is set to have just his third start over fences in Sunday week’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown but he will be a warm favourite to win after the former ante-post market leader Pandorama was ruled out yesterday.

Noel Meade’s Lexus Chase winner has met with a setback and was ruled out of the Grade One highlight, with his chances of making the Cheltenham Gold Cup rated no more than “50-50.”

Pandorama’s owner Robert Bagnall reported yesterday: “On Thursday we think he got a bit of a knock in his box and Noel (Meade) brought him out on Friday for a small canter and he came back slightly lame.

“Over the weekend he walked him and he appeared all right but when he brought him out this morning he came back lame. We hope he has just bruised his hock. We did an X-ray at first and there appeared to be a little crack in the hock but when we X-rayed the other hock it was identical.

“We’re going to rest him for a week which rules out the Irish Hennessy but it’s my lifetime ambition to get to Cheltenham and Noel thinks and hopes this is just a temporary setback.”

Paul Nicholls won the Hennessy two years ago with Neptune Collonges and his inexperienced chaser Pride Of Dulcote has been installed as Paddy Power’s new 13 to 8 Hennessy favourite. Last year’s winner Joncol is next best at 11 to 4. Pride Of Dulcote was off with a leg problem for 14 months before reappearing last month at Newbury when beating Punchestowns in a tight finish.