Big Zeb targets the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase for a straight fourth year
"He's very good. I'm not sure where we go with him," said the County Wexford handler.
"We'll give him an entry in the Hilly Way at Cork on Sunday.”
"All being well, we'll go back to Leopardstown at Christmas for the Dial-A-Bet Chase."
Oscar’s eleven-year-old bay gelding, Big Zeb, is being considered for the Grade One Hilly Way Chase at Cork next Sunday and the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown. Winning the latter will extend the feat beyond a hat-trick as Big Zeb has already won the race three times.
The Colm Murphy trained has won the Paddy Power race in 2008, 2010 and the most recent edition too. Winning it will not only take the count to 4, but he will also strike a back-to-back to the tile.
The Patrick Joseph Redmond owned won the Grade 1 Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase on 27th December, 2011 at Leopardstown over two miles and a furlong. The favourite entry was paired up with jockey, Robbie Power, for the race and the duo defeated the Paul Nolan trained, Noble Prince, to the second position.
The eleven-year-old Irish bay gelding also reserves the honour of bagging the winner’s prize money of the Grade 1 Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase on 17th March, 2010 at Cheltenham race course over two miles. Racing over the thirteen fences under the highly capable hands of jockey, Barry Geraghty, got the team defeating Forpadydeplasterer by mighty six lengths.
The much experienced and accomplished gelding has made the event his signature race by winning it time and again thusly there are hardly if any doubts that he will land the edition this year too. The opponents have not been revealed yet, but taking Big Zeb’s forte from him will not be an easy or simple task no matter whoever comes in the field.
Just as Big Buck’s does not let anyone else take away the Long Distance Hurdle every year since the last four years, in the same way snatching the honour from Big Zeb would take a champion the way he is.
The only time in the last four years that Big Zeb lost the race was in 2009, and it is highly unlikely that the scenario will repeat itself again.
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