Last year's Arkle Chase winner Sizing Europe will contest the Sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase at this year's Cheltenham Festival after being scratched from both the Ryanair Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Sizing Europe, who raced over 2m last time out, has not won in four starts since completing a five-timer in the Arkle. He now looks set for a return to what many feel is his optimum trip.
Trainer Henry de Bromhead said on Monday: "Having talked things over with his owners, Ann and Alan Potts, and considered all the options, we've decided to run Sizing Europe in the Champion Chase."
The nine-year-old is currently best-price 16/1 which looks like great value for each-way backers because, in finishing in second place in last season's Champion Chase, Forpadydeplasterer became the 12th consecutive winner of the Arkle Trophy, which went to take its chance in the Queen Mother, to finish in the first three 12 months later.
The record of last season's Arkle Trophy winner in the Champion Chase is incredible - of that dozen, five that went on to complete the double the following season (Remittance Man, Klairon Davis, Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop and Voy Por Ustedes). For the record, the four runners-up joining Forpadydeplasterer were Waterloo Boy, Travado, Or Royal and Well Chief with Nakir and Flagship Uberalles filling third place.
Champion Chase leading contender best-price odds:
Will Hill £25 free bet | Bet365 £200 free bet | Skybet £35 free bet | 888sport £25 free bet Victor Chandler £25 free bet | Stan James £25 free bet | Paddy Power £50 free bet Sportingbet £50 free bet | Ladbrokes £25 free bet | totesport £10 free bet
Another horse to have his Festival target confirmed is last year's Champion Hurdle runner-up Khyber Kim who will bid to go one better in this year's renewal at the Cheltenham Festival after trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies confirmed he'll go for the race.
After a disappointing run on his seasonal reappearance in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton his Festival target was unclear but yesterday Twiston-Davies said: "He's going for the Champion Hurdle. I was slightly disappointed after Kempton but he blew hard afterwards. He wasn't beaten that far, he wasn't that bad, it was just his first run of the season and we'll have him right for the Champion Hurdle."
The nine-year-old is currently best-price 25/1 for the 2011 Champion Hurdle.
Champion Hurdle leading contender best-price odds:
Will Hill £25 free bet | Bet365 £200 free bet | Skybet £35 free bet | 888sport £25 free bet Victor Chandler £25 free bet | Stan James £25 free bet | Paddy Power £50 free bet Sportingbet £50 free bet | Ladbrokes £25 free bet | totesport £10 free bet
Another potential 2011 Champion Hurdle contender is Dunguib who is currently best-price 20/1 (Bet365) and trainer Philip Fenton has ruled the eight-year-old out of running in the Coral Cup.
Dunguib had been a general 14/1 second favourite for the Coral Cup after Fenton announced last month that the horse would be getting an entry in the handicap. However, this plan has been shelved.
He is set to run in Gowran's Grade 2 Red Mills Trial Hurdle on Saturday, with connections hoping for a good run to book his place in the Champion Hurdle. Fenton said: "The Coral Cup is not in the picture. The owners were not too keen on it. We'll see how he performs Saturday and that will give us a fair indication of where we're going."
Meanwhile, a decent card at Navan on Sunday provided some Festival points and yielded a Grade 2 double for trainer Colm Murphy whose Voler La Vedette took advantage of a drop in class to win the Boyne Hurdle.
The talented daughter of King's Theatre had been running with credit behind Huricane Fly and Solwhit lately and found this an easier assignment while the step up to 2m 5f for the first time in her career proved absolutely no problem to her.
From early in the straight she was clearly going best of all and she readily picked off Stonemaster after the last flight for an assured success over a game Rigour Back Bob. Her trainer hasn't completely ruled out a tilt at the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham in which she was third last year and another good showing there would be entirely possible - the seven-year-old is currently best-price 6/1 (Paddy Power) for the 2011 renewal.
Murphy then picked up the 3m Ten Up Novice Chase with Quito De La Roque who was recording his second Grade 2 success of the campaign. Already firmly established as a classy staying novice chaser, he looked to face a straight forward task and was much too strong for his opponents. It will be fascinating to see how he copes with drier ground later this season and he is a most proficient soft ground performer.
Conceding weight to his four rivals, Quito De La Roque travelled smoothly and jumped soundly for jockey Davy Russell and the pair eased into the lead as The Hurl tired at the top of the home straight.
It was then the simple matter of clearing the last three fences for the seven-year-old, who never looked in trouble as he cleared them all in masterful fashion and after clearing the last, Russell allowed the Gigginstown House Stud-owned runner to coast to the line.
Quito De La Roque's performance saw him cut to best-price 10/1 for the 4m National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next month, whilst he is also as short as 12/1 for the RSA Chase, although available at a standout best-price 20/1 (Paddy Power) at the time of writing.
National Hunt Chase leading contender best-price odds:
Will Hill £25 free bet | Bet365 £200 free bet | Skybet £35 free bet | 888sport £25 free bet Victor Chandler £25 free bet | Stan James £25 free bet | Paddy Power £50 free bet Sportingbet £50 free bet | Ladbrokes £25 free bet | totesport £10 free bet
RSA Chase leading contender best-price odds:
Will Hill £25 free bet | Bet365 £200 free bet | Skybet £35 free bet | 888sport £25 free bet Victor Chandler £25 free bet | Stan James £25 free bet | Paddy Power £50 free bet Sportingbet £50 free bet | Ladbrokes £25 free bet | totesport £10 free bet
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