Tied Cottage Chase Odds and Betting Preview: Punchestown offers clues for Champion Chase

NAAS, IRELAND - Punchestown is the venue on Sunday for the most important trial for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase. The two current Antepost market leaders for the 2 mile championship event at the Cheltenham Festival will face off, with Big Zeb taking on Sizing Europe as they tussle in the Antepost market. These two are also the last two winners of the Champion Chase. Due to the strength of the big two, only one other runner, Imperial Shabra, will take part.

Despite this race featuring the two most likely winners of the big one in March, it pays to remember that this is not the big day, and it is unlikely that both horses will be trained to peak, especially Sizing Europe, who tends to leave his best performances for the biggest days. The market has taken account of this and Big Zeb is the 4/6 favourite for the race with William Hill (bet £60 to make £40 profit).

Sizing Europe is offered at a general 5/4 to win tomorrow's race, but most of the conditions and circumstances of the race seem against him. The ground is currently riding heavy, and while this should be no great inconvenience for Big Zeb, Sizing would prefer a much sounder surface. Another potential negative for Sizing is that with only three runners, he is likely to have to make the running, and although he made much of the race at Cheltenham last year, it is another negative in the stamina-sapping ground.

Added to these doubts is the suspicion that Sizing Europe is not at his best around Punchestown, whereas Big Zeb has never run badly at this track. His jumping errors seem to be a thing of the past, and as well as winning this race in 2010, he also beat Sizing Europe six and a half lengths in this race last year, although Big Zeb was mugged on the line by the sadly ill-fated Golden Silver that day. The horses have raced each other three times, with Big Zeb currently leading 2-1 with both his wins having come at Punchestown, and Sizing's win coming at his favoured Cheltenham.

The last of the trio is Imperial Shabra, who is a 100/1 shot with Bet365. He has a huge amount to find with the principles and barring misfortune from both Big Zeb and Sizing Europe, he looks to have no chance of being there at the finish.

Although conditions look to be in Big Zeb's favour for today's race, they will undoubtedly be in Sizing Europe's favour for the big one in March, as the ten-year-old has won at the past two Cheltenham Festivals. The current champion is currently a best priced 9/4 with Boylesports for the Champion Chase, and should he be beaten comprehensively today, his price could drift to something more backable. Big Zeb is a general 4/1 chance for the race at Cheltenham, but this is unlikely to shorten too much unless he beats Sizing out of sight today. 

The main challenge for the Champion Chase coming from England this year looks to be the Nicky Henderson trained Finian's Rainbow, who was second in the Victor Chandler Chase last time out. His jockey Barry Geraghty thinks he will improve for that run, but he still seems to have a lot to find with Sizing Europe and Big Zeb.

Tied Cottage Chase betting odds

Champion Chase betting odds