China Rock up to the size of the task at Punchestown
The battle was lost but there was little sense that the war had gone the same way at Punchestown.
The task for the leading novices’ the following season is how to follow that peak performance. Sizing Europe had reached the top last season with a victory in the Grade One Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival. But his trainer, Henry de Bromhead, had elected to move the horse up in distance in the Grade Three Star 'Best For Racing Coverage' Chase.
The two-mile path to staying chases was followed by the likes of Best Mate, Kicking King, War of Attrition and Kauto Star in recent years and Sizing Europe had won a two-and-a-half-mile beginners’ chase last season.
However, Ruby Walsh, riding the race-fit China Rock –trained by Mouse Morris - decided to use that fitness edge as he led the field down the back straight over this two-mile seven-furlong trip.
Andrew Lynch was trying to tread the line of winning the race without pushing Sizing Europe too hard, on what was a his first run for six months, and the turning point was the fourth-last fence. There Lynch popped Sizing Europe over somewhat conservatively whereas as Walsh asked for plenty and China Rock responded in kind.
They opened up a six-length lead and Sixing Europe was always playing catch-up thereon. He got to within a couple of lengths early in the home straight but then tired before the last as China Rock stayed on to win by seven lengths, with Siegemaster in third.
The debrief between Lynch and de Bromhead hardly seemed to be of the post-mortem variety and the trainer emerged with the view that hopes of taking on the best over three miles had not expired. “I thought he ran very well. I thought Ruby and Mouse had their tactics spot-on. They were always going to test us – for the trip and fitness. I thought his jumping was a little bit rusty, but that’ll improve as we go on. I felt he got the trip – so, happy,” he said.
Lynch was happy enough until the horse’s fitness betrayed him in the final half-mile. “He thought coming to the fourth-last he was getting back in it,” De Bromhead added. “Ruby winged it, we popped it and he just had a big blow after the last – so he’ll improve for that.”
The question still hanging over De Bromhead is that of stamina and it is one that he and the horse’s owners, Alan and Ann Potts, want to find an answer as early as possible to determine where they go next. The Champion Chase, at Down Royal on November 6th, which is a likely target for Kauto Star is one alternative and De Bromhead said: “I think we’d like to know whether we’re going for three miles or two miles sooner rather than later.”
Loosen My Load may never have reached quite the same heights over hurdles as Sizing Europe but he is making much the same progress as his stable companion did in his novices season over fences.
Having won the corresponding race at the Listowel Festival last month that Sizing Europe had won the previous season, De Bromhead plotted the same route, with the same results, when he ran Loosen My Load in the Grade Three Buck House Novices’ Chase.
A field of four always suggested that there may not be a strong pace and what there was broke up when Strongpoint unseated Andrew Tinkler at the third fence. That left Lynch in front on Loosen My Load with Paul Carberry trying to keep upsides on Darceys Dancer. But Loosen My Load had simply too much pace between his fences, despite Lynch trying to curb some of his exuberance as he had to make his own running.
The only time that Lynch asked for more than the minimum was jumping the second-last, as Loosen My Load won by two-and-a-half lengths , and he could get an early sighter of Cheltenham in a novice chase at the Open meeting next month.
Luska Lad took his career record to 10 from 19 starts with an easy victory in the Grade Three Ryan's Cleaning Events Specialists Hurdle. Andrew McNamara had Luska Lad close to the lead, was upsides at the third-last and jumped clear at the penultimate flight to win by two-and-a-half lengths from Der Spieler.
The long-term target is the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in November.
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