Lynch looking forward to matching impressive feat of Master Minded

The last horse to pull off this feat was Master Minded in 2008-09, and while Henry de Bromhead’s 10-year-old is not in that class, he is by far the best horse in a sub-standard renewal of Cheltenham’s day two feature.

A supremely impressive winner of the Tingle Creek in December, Sizing Europe then pulled clear of Big Zeb – the 2010 winner and today’s chief rival – at Punchestown last month.

“I can’t wait to ride him. He’s been in fabulous form this season, winning three from four”, said a supremely confident Lynch.

“If everything goes well, he should take a lot of beating.

“He was impressive the last day. He was in good form after winning the Tingle Creek and Henry said ‘go and enjoy yourself, get him jumping and have fun’. He’s in good form, worked well the other day and is one to look forward to.”

If Sizing Europe prevails, it will be his third successive Festival win – after being a well beaten favourite in the 2009 Champion Hurdle, he redeemed his reputation by winning the Arkle and then the Champion Chase last year.

Part of this is down to de Bromhead realising his horse is a poor traveller. He now has a gallop before he boards the ferry across the Irish Sea and then a racecourse canter after the boat has docked in Britain. It has proved to be a winning formula.

The main British hope is Finian’s Rainbow. Third in last year’s Arkle Trophy, he was narrowly beaten by Henrietta Knight’s Somersby in Ascot’s Victor Chandler Chase.

“He’s a more relaxed person this year than he was in the Arkle,” said trainer Nicky Henderson. “But you can’t get away from Sizing Europe.”

Meanwhile Ruby Walsh rides Kauto Stone, half-brother to Kauto Star. He says he will not be out of the first two.